Take an enjoyable and scenic stroll to Villa Taranto and admire the most famous gardens of Lake Maggiore. Walk along Pallanza’s fashionable promenade, then discover the charm of tiny Lake Mergozzo and its enchanting fishing village.
DISTANCE: Ferry: 6km (3.75 miles), walk: 4km (2.5 miles), bus/taxi: 8km (5 miles)
TIME: A half day or leisurely full day
START: Stresa
END: Mergozzo
POINTS TO NOTE: Ferries to Villa Taranto (45 mins) are more direct but less frequent than those to Pallanza (about 35 mins and a short walk to the villa). Allow at least an hour, but preferably two (or more) for Villa Taranto. If you want to hire a bike or take a bus or taxi from Pallanza to Mergozzo, ask for advice at Pallanza’s tourist office at Via S. Bernardino, 49 (www.viviverbania.it). A quick way back to Stresa from Mergozzo via public transport is a direct train (www.trenitalia.com).
From the jetty on Stresa’s Piazza Marconi take a morning ferry to Villa Taranto (or to Pallanza, see Points to Note). If you want to have a picnic lunch, buy provisions from Carrefour at Via Roma 11, in Stresa, before you leave. (An area near the entrance of Villa Taranto is allocated to picnickers; alternatively, you could plan to picnic on a beach at Lake Mergozzo.) Most of the boats call en route at Baveno, set in the lee of a pink granite mountain. A small, subdued version of Stresa, the resort prospered from quarried pink granite and has been popular with British visitors since Victorian times.
Pallanza has some fine gardens, but none of them matches those of Villa Taranto 1 [map] (www.villataranto.it; charge). The landing stage, right in front of the entrance, was created specifically for the gardens when they opened in 1952.
The garden
In 1931 Neil McEacharn, a retired Scottish soldier and passionate horticulturist, saw an advertisement in The Times for the estate known as La Crocetta on a hillside in Pallanza. He bought the property and devoted the rest of his life to planting and landscaping the site. What had formerly been an unruly wooded headland was transformed into one of Europe’s leading botanical gardens. McEacharn imported plants from five different continents – most notably from Asia. Among them were exotic plants, such as coffee, tea, cotton, lotus blossom, giant Amazonian water lilies and papyrus.
Prized tulips at Villa Taronto
Fotolia
Giant water lilies
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Villa Taranto and Lake Mergozzo
The gardens have more than 20,000 plant species and are equally lovely in spring and autumn. Tulip-lined flower beds contrast with exotic aquatic plants; there is also a wooded ravine and a soothing water garden with fountains and ponds. In April and May, cherry blossom floats over violets, narcissi and crocuses, and camellias, azaleas, irises and rhododendrons also all flourish. From 25 April to May every year there are 80,000 bulbs in flower at Villa Taranto. The star is the tulip – over 65 varieties are planted. During the week one ticket out of every five sold at Villa Taranto has a stamp on the back entitling the visitor to a free plant or flower cultivated in the garden.
Summer is the time to see aquatic plants, oleanders, hydrangeas, roses and citrus fruits; autumn for coppery Japanese maples, flowering shrubs and mellow dahlias.
Don’t miss the giant water lilies in the Victoria Amazonica Greenhouse. They measure up to 2m (6.5ft), with leaves that look like huge green trays. The flowers, which are nocturnal and pollinated by beetles, only live for around 24 hours, and gradually change colour from creamy white to pink and purplish red.
Since McEacharn left the villa to the state, Villa Taranto has been a venue for political summits (held in the villa itself, which is closed to the public), each marked by a tree-planting ceremony. Trees have been planted here by various heads of state, including Margaret Thatcher.
Perfect symmetry in the gardens
Fotolia
Leave the gardens and follow the Via Vittorio Veneto, the lakeside road, for about thirty minutes on foot around the headland to Corso Zanitello in Pallanza 2 [map], where magnolia and oleander trees line the quaysides and colourful cafés flank the piazzas.
During the medieval era Pallanza was protected by a castle and was the only town on the lake not to fall under Borromean sway. The resort’s mild winter climate, fine views and luxuriant gardens attract the elderly during off-season, while a smattering of bars and clubs in medieval Pallanza draw younger visitors in summer.
Villa Giulia
Villa Giulia is a frothy pink concoction built in 1847 originally owned by Bernardino Branca, inventor of Fernet Branca, and now serving as a convention and concert venue. The gardens are a public park and command views of the private islet of San Giovanni, which the conductor Toscanini acquired from the Borromean family.
Eating options
If you are ready for refreshment at this point, allow yourself to be tempted by the exquisitely elegant lakeside Ristorante Milano overlooking the picturesque old harbour, see 1 [map].
Villa Taranto and Lake Mergozzo
Suna
The garden-lined lakeside promenade continues for another 2km (1.25 miles). At the far side of the resort, you can watch the watersports around Suna. This former fishing village buzzes with beach life, although the occasional villa and Romanesque church hark back to a quieter era. If you are contemplating a meal now or later for a buffet aperitivo or dinner, the Hostaria Dam a Traa, see 2 [map], is a relaxed restaurant with a terrace overlooking the lake.
Fondotoce Nature Reserve
Towards the end of Via Troubetskoy, the promenade merges into the busy coastal road. The 360ha (890-acre) Riserva Naturale Fondotoce protects the wetlands to the west, habitat of numerous species of waterfowl and other marsh bird but the area around Fondotoce is somewhat spoilt by campsites.
Colourful Pallanza
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The rooftops of Mergozzo
Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications
1 [map] Ristorante Milano
Corso Zanitello 2/4, Pallanza; www.ristorantemilanolagomaggiore.IT
Frighteningly pricey, but it is worth splashing out for the romantic lakeside location, the exquisite fish dishes and the succulent meat from Piedmont. Needless to say, the food is freshly sourced, the setting elegant and the service faultless. €€€€
2 [map] Hostaria Dam a Traa
Via Paolo Troubetzkoy 106, Suna; www.damatraa.it
Wrap yourself in a warm and relaxing atmosphere and discover traditional flavours with an elegant and modern twist. The menu offers typical à la carte dishes as well as dishes of the day. Vegetarian friendly; gluten-free options available. €€€
3 [map] La Quartina
Hotel La Quartina, Via Pallanza 22, Lago di Mergozzo; www.laquartina.com
Hugging the shore of Lake Mergozzo, this relaxing hotel-restaurant serves fish from the lake, local salamis and cheese along with Piemontese beef and game from the hills. €€
By bus or taxi it is about 10km (6 miles) northwest from Pallanza to the village of Mergozzo 3 [map]. Framed by enchanting forests, tiny Lago di Mergozzo is one of the cleanest lakes in Europe (motorboats are banned) and the beaches are secluded. Prior to the 9th century it was part of Lake Maggiore, but silt from the River Toce separated it from the larger lake.
Once you arrive at the village of Mergozzo, the lakeside restaurant of Hotel Due Palme near to the main piazza, makes for another nice place to pause before exploring the picturesque hamlet as it curves around the fishing harbour; inviting alleys and flights of steps lead to a cloistered church and old-fashioned inns.
Alternatively, sample one of the tasting menus at La Quartina, see 3 [map], or try the gastronomic delights of the two-Michelin star Il Piccolo Lago , but note the opening times.
From Mergozzo catch a bus to Intra/Verbania. Then take the ferry back to Stresa where you can enjoy an aperitivo as the sun sets, offering a perfect moment to reflect on your day.
Lake Mergozzo
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