The territory embracing Piedmont’s Large Lakes and those of the Valli Ossolane constitutes the north eastern entry route into Piedmont.
Its proximity to the international airport of Malpensa (only 15 minutes away by car) makes it easy for tourists to quickly immerse themselves in the magical atmosphere of the lakes, which have always been a favourite resort for Princes and Kings, writers and celebrated artists who have found, in these locations, inspiration and tranquillity.
Today this territory still displays traces of its past, but has at the same time been able to evolve, offering tourists excellent comfort and hospitality.
THE LAKES...
Certainly Lake Maggiore is the most well known of Piedmont’s lakes and acts as a watershed between Piedmont and Lombardy, with its shores extending as far as nearby Switzerland.
Towns and villages, which have always been favourites with tourists, look out across its waters; Arona, full of life and locales, ideal for shopping, famous for the superlative exhibitions
held there every year, from Picasso to Van Gogh.
Stresa, the most well-known and famous lake town, located in the splendid Borromeo Gulf, formerly frequented by princes and reigning kings and queens, and now a location for summits involving Heads of States.
Verbania, now the province’s administrative centre, has been able to transform itself from an industrial city into an excellent tourist locality.
Travelling along the shores of the lake, from Ghiffa to Cannero and Cannobio, passing through a sequence of towns and villages as far as the Swiss border, it is possible to enjoy some utterly unforgettable views.
Other lakes, however, no less evocative, also adorn this territory with their waters e.g. Lake d’Orta, surrounded by its unique landscape, alongside the homonymous town, brimming with the allure of the past, like a pearl shell opening up onto the lake.
Or Lake Mergozzo, situated between the two lakes, a perfect location for water sports.
THE ISLANDS...
Contrasting delightfully with the limpid waters of the lakes, set among their expanse of water like rare gems, are the islands.
Rising up from Lake Maggiore, the Borromee islands stand tall and proud, famous round the world for their ancient charm and the history they recount; surrounded by Borromeo Gulf, they offer tourists a variety of enchanting views and scenery.
Isola Madre, the oldest of the three, green and wild, with its luxuriant botanical garden, offers countless tree and flower species, surrounding a marvellous sixteenth century palace, delighting visitors with its colourful and impressive fauna: peacocks, pheasants and vociferous parrots.
Isola Bella: the sumptuous residence of the Borromeo Princes since 1632.
Isola dei Pescatori: a small picturesque village, with narrow streets and houses, formerly inhabited by fishermen, conveying an atmosphere redolent of the past.
Smaller, but no less fascinating, the famous Isola di San Giulio, set amid Lake d’Orta, with its monastery and basilica: a place of history and legends, memories and imagination.
PARKS AND GARDENS...
The gentle and temperate climate of these areas allows vegetation to grow splendidly, and tradition has it that luxuriant gardens have always provided a setting for its patrician villas and old residences.
Some of these parks are open to the public and can be visited.
The most important include the botanical garden of Villa Taranto, displaying more than twenty thousand arboreal species.
Different in character, but with an enormous emotional impact, the Val Grande National Park is the largest wilderness area in Italy, a place where nature reigns supreme, reconquering its territory, amid the quietude of its freely-moving fauna.
RELIGIOUS ROUTES...
A land which has long and deep Christian roots, the territory around Piedmont’s lakes and those of the Valli Ossolane still provides visitors with locations for meditation and reflection.
The Holy Mountains of Ghiffa, Orta and Domodossola continue to relate, with their frescoes and paintings, the Sacred Story. Set amidst a natural environment, which has remained uncontaminated, their routes, grouped into various series of frescoed chapels, re-evocate pages from history and pilgrimages, as you slowly climb, immersed in meditation, to the main church, where you will find a perfect atmosphere for reflection and prayer.
THE MOUNTAINS...
Piedmont’s lakes are surrounded by a majestic chain of mountains. The most evocative is undoubtedly Monte Rosa which, with its snow-covered slopes, offers splendid pistes for skiers, whether beginners or experts.
Nor can one forget Mottarone, with its rounded profile, looking out over the Borromee islands and Macugnaga, the pearl of Monte Rosa, Domodossola, Bognanco with its spas, the small villages of the valli Ossolane, where old traditions can still be seen, in perfect harmony with modernity.
SPORTS...
Our territory is every sportsman and woman’s dream.
5 golf courses, snowy slopes for all winter sports, steep rock faces for climbs and gentle trails for relaxing walks, routes for mountain bikes through nature’s wonders, and obviously water sports - sailing, canoeing, windsurfing and water skiing - with the mountains only minutes away from the lake, offering all the relaxation and sport you could possibly desire.
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