Places to visit in Stresa Stresa is an excellent found to discover Lake Maggiore and its surrounding vicinity.
Visiting this place gives you the chance to visit and explore more spectacular scenaries including the annual festivals and concerts.
Major attractions include:
Villa Taranto gardens - these are gardens that have a magnificent collection of flowers and plants all over the world in an English style plot.
The Umbrella Museum - this is located in Gignese near Stresa and contains a wonderful collection of umbrellas and parasols including a detailed history of the many families from the Gignese are who build them.
Stresa-Mottarone Cable Car - this takes you on a twenty minutes panoramic ride to Mount Mottarone giving you a chance to visit Alpine Gardens upon stoppage in the mid-way and by climbing the summit one gets a full 360° view of the Alps and over seven lakes.
Villa Pallavicino which is a 19th century villa is surrounded by landscaped parkland containing beautiful flowers, plants and trees with a small zoo.
In addition to the sites of attraction, there are a lot more activities you could do while in Stresa. There are numerous events you can enjoy during your retreat or visit including attending the Stresa festival, Jazz Ascona, Stresa jazz club concerts, the sound of America Honour Band amongst other local festivals.
Taking walks is one of the best ways to discover the hidden treasures of Stresa and Lake Maggiore or even beyond.
There are a good number of towns around Lake Maggiore including Ascona , Baveno, Pallanza and Cannobio which are worth a visit.
You could indulge into other special interest in Stresa including religious tours, sports while finding out more about family activities. There are guided excursions which will facilitate your exploration around Lake Maggiore or visits to the last supper in Milan.
Isole Borromee
Also known as Borromean Islands, they include three small islands and two islets located at the western arm of Lake Maggiore between Stresa and Verbania. Though covering a total of an estimated 50 acres, their picturesque setting is a major tourist attraction.
Deriving their name from the Borromeo family the islands are:
Isola Bella - this is a natural treasure made even better through human intervention and provides its visitors unparalleled view of Lake Maggiore. Dominated by its sumptuous baroque palace together with luxuriant Italian-style garden makes the island stands out as one of the tourist favorite destination. The gardens are stretched out on ten terraces and open to its visitors including the splendidly furnished rooms and magnificent salons embroidered with priceless artworks.
You can reach the island via boat services or motor launch from Verbania, Baveno, Arona and Stresa.
Isola Madre - this is the largest island of the three borromean islands and is occupied by a number of architectural structures and its famously known for its gardens. The island has a magical atmosphere with immense garden of exotic and rare trees where pheasants and peacocks wander. Isola madre leaves its visitors with a memory of well manicured lawns, competently tended trees and flowers with skillfully laid out interiors.
From Stresa or Baveno one can get to this island by train or by car
Isola dei Pescatori is the third island among the Borromean Island inhabited all year round though unlike the other two it no longer belongs to the Borromeo family. It’s commonly known for its traditional fishing practice.
A trip to Stresa: useful information