The best things to do in Lake Iseo, Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta, from horticulture to wine tasting
The smallest of the lakes, Orta and Iseo, are often overlooked by travellers. Venture off the beaten track and you’ll discover one of the most gorgeous towns in Orta San Giulio, while on Iseo you should spare some time to discover Monte Isola, Italy’s largest lake island. Maggiore is ripe for exploration, with glorious botanical gardens and magnificent vistas.
Lake Orta
Find magic on the Island of San Giulio
Just a short boat ride from Orta San Giulio lies the gorgeous island of San Giulio, dominated by a Benedictine monastery, home to a community of cloistered nuns. The island’s only cobbled street is a lovely place for a tranquil stroll, taking you past a small shop, a restaurant and some panoramic viewpoints.
Insider’s tip: Keep an eye out for the 17th-century magician’s house – recognisable by a statue of the magician pointing to his grimoire outside. It’s now the seat of Poetry on the Lake which organises magical poetry events throughout the year.
Contact: 00 39 333 605 0288; navigazioneorta.it
Price: Free
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Soak up sumptuous lake views
Perched 640m high on a steep wall of white granite rock, the 18th-century Santuario della Madonna del Sasso houses a wonderful pictorial cycle by Lorenzo Peracino, along with wooden furnishings and a panel dating back to the 16th-century. From the square below the church there is an impressive panorama of the lake that takes in the Alpine valleys of Ossola, Mottarone Mountain and the area around Novara.
Insider’s tip: Behind the church, a path leads up to a wooded area with picnic tables. It’s a pleasant spot to enjoy a bite and soak in the lake views.
Contact: 00 39 0322 96163; santuariomadonnadelsasso.it
Price: Free
Unwind at a waterside café
The attractive medieval village of Orta San Giulio is a wonderfully romantic place, with narrow cobbled lanes meandering past stone-roofed palazzi painted in soft mellow shades. Life revolves around the Piazza Motta, the waterside square closed in by caramel-coloured facades on three sides. Terrace cafés, restaurants and boutiques are tucked under the porticoes, while opposite the lake is Salita della Motta, with steep cobbled steps leading up to the yellow 15th-century Santa Maria Assunta Church.
Insider’s tip: Head north on Via Olina and trace the lakeside promenade for a tranquil stroll away from the crowds that throng the historical centre.
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Enjoy a picnic among the pines
Set high above Orta San Giulio on a wooden hillside are 20 frescoed chapels housing 375 life-sized terracotta statues that depict the life of San Francis of Assisi. The devotional complex of Sacro Monte di Orta attracts pilgrims from far and wide alongside tourists who come to enjoy the fresh air and wonderful lake views.
Insider’s tip: The shaded hillside makes for the ideal place for a picnic, with designated tables and benches for eating. The area is great for children too, with plenty of place to run around and enjoy the open air.
Contact: 00 39 0322 911 960; sacromonte-orta.com
Price: Free
Lake Maggiore
While away time in horticulture heaven
Dominating the Golfo Borromeo is Isola Bella, housing a Baroque palazzo and magnificent gardens where white peacocks roam among sumptuous fountains, statues, and impressive terraces of magnolias, cypresses and lemon trees. The English landscaped park of Isola Madre is no less beautiful, housing rare botanical species and a colony of parrots. In the villa, don’t miss the 18th- and 19th-century collection of puppet theatres featuring representations of family members, friends and servants.
Insider’s Tip: To descend to the lakefront on Isola Madre, take the Wisteria Staircase interspersed with arches bursting with scented wisteria, in bloom in April and May.
Contact: 00 39 0323 933 478; isoleborromee.it
Price: £££
Admire one of the world’s largest collections of dolls and toys
Standing majestically on a hilltop on the lake’s south-eastern shore is the 11th-century Rocca di Angera, a castle and stronghold that once monitored trade routes in the area. Comprising five different constructions spanning from the 11th to the 17th centuries, the castle houses one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of toys, with handmade wood and papier-mache playthings, over 1,000 dolls made between the 18th century and today, and wonderfully preserved mechanical music boxes playing well-known arias.
Insider’s tip: Take a stroll around the castle’s peaceful medieval gardens with flowers and medicinal herbs. It has been restored to its original splendour with the help of paintings, historic documents, and much painstaking work.
Contact: 00 39 0323 933 478; isoleborromee.it
Price: ££
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Stroll the lush grounds of a Neoclassical mansion
From the lakefront road, a shaded walkway snakes its way up the mountainside through lush verdant flora. Dense ferns carpet the hillside, while water cascades down the slopes towards the lakeside. The 44-acre Parco Villa Pallavicino is home to over 50 species of exotic mammals and birds, vulnerable animals that were orphaned, injured or sick. It’s a great spot for families, with plenty of open spaces for children to run around, a playground, and a petting zoo with goats, donkeys and Shetland ponies.
Insider’s tip: At the far end of the Giardino dei Fiori, a couple of stone columns frame lovely views of the lake – a delightful spot for a photographic memento.
Contact: 00 39 0323 933 478; isoleborromee.it
Price: ££
Smell the dahlias at a sumptuous botanical garden
The magnificent gardens at Villa Taranto are the work of Scottish Captain Neil McEacharn, who created a 40-acre botanical garden to remind himself of his native Scotland. Avenues of tumbling azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias lead to perfectly groomed parterres embellished with statues, ponds and fountains. Carpets of dahlias, heathers and rare lilies burst with colour, all beautifully laid out in geometric shapes and symmetrical patterns.
Insider’s tip: Walk up to the Winter Garden, the highest part of the gardens, a peaceful spot that visitors often miss; it’s home to a large lily pond and a greenhouse supporting equatorial plants.
Contact: 00 39 0323 556 667; villataranto.it
Price: ££
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Watch sunset at a Benedictine monastery
Hewn into the rock on the eastern shore, this pretty monastery is only visible from the water. It was founded in the 12th-century by a wealthy merchant who decided to conduct the life of a hermit. Comprising three buildings dating back to the late 13th to early 14th-century, it’s particularly evocative at sunset, when a gentle light bathes the rock face in rosy hues.
Insider’s tip: From the car park walk down towards the monastery but turn left towards Parco della Villa to join the path that leads to the Belvedere, a lookout point offering spectacular views of the lake.
Contacts: 0039 0332 647 760
Price: £
Take in lake views from a mountaintop
Trails crisscross the summit of Mottarone, snaking through centuries-old fir, pine, beech and chestnut woods and opening up onto pastures of grazing livestock and verdant meadows. Rising almost 5000ft above the lake, the summit offers panoramic lake views, stretching from the Ligurian Appenines and the Monte Rosa massif, taking in the Padana Plain and an incredible vista of the area’s Seven Lakes (Orta, Maggiore, Mergozzo, Biandronno, Varese, Monate, Comabbio).
Insider’s tip: A cable car from Stresa travels up to the summit, although the drive is equally scenic, allowing you to stop off at viewpoints along the way.
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Explore an ornithological haven
Sitting on a slope above the town of Arona is this verdant park dominated by a medieval defensive construction –a major strategic control point of the lakes. A path meanders through the leafy grounds home to meadowsweet and hart’s-tongue fern. You may be able to spot owls, herons, magpies and peregrine falcons, while children will enjoy exploring the grounds that are home to Tibetan goats, donkeys, ducks and turtles.
Insider’s tip: In summer, take in the lake views as you enjoy a refreshing drink at the Corte della Rocchetta, a café and bar located at the highest point of the park.
Contact: 00 39 349 590 1958; parcoroccaarona.com
Price: Free
Lake Iseo
Discover Europe's largest lake island
Europe’s largest lake island, Monte Isola, is a peaceful car-free spot sprinkled with fishing villages. Boats bob along the shore, while narrow streets climb up the mountainside in the pretty village of Peschiera Maraglio, where craftsmen and fishermen produce fishing and hunting nets. The island is best explored on two wheels, tracing the perimeter promenade that is home to a handful of lakefront eateries.
Insider’s tip: Head to the Madonna della Ceriola Sanctuary for panoramic lake views. If you have time to spare, pop into the Museo della Rete, which provides an insight into the island’s fishing history.
Contact: 00 39 345 914 3707; visitlakeiseo.info
Price: Free
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Drink in wine country vistas
This hilly region between Lake Iseo and Brescia produces some of Italy’s finest sparkling wine. Gentle rolling hills are carpeted with vineyards and olive groves, while punctuated here and there amid celebrated wineries are fortified farmhouses and medieval castles. The Strada del Franciacorta passes through vineyard landscapes and strings of pretty villages with Michelin-starred restaurants and traditional trattorie aplenty. For a treat, head to Due Colombe, an elegant Michelin-starred restaurant located in a restored medieval building.
Insider’s tip: Cycle routes crisscross stone-terraced vineyards passing along scenic backcountry roads, offering plenty of adventure for oenophiles and keen bikers.
Contact: 00 39 0307760870; franciacorta.net
Hike an ancient trading route
Snaking through olive groves, chestnut woods and vineyards, the ancient trading route of the Strada Valeriana stretches along the eastern shore of the lake, crossing a flourishing hillside and passing through ancient hamlets with gorgeous lake views. This glorious route can be trekked comfortably over the course of a day, with explanatory panels highlighting points of interest along the way. It’s an easy trail that can be enjoyed by families.
Insider’s tip: Look out for two giant two-metre high benches – one orange, the other green – by American designer Chris Bangle. Hop on, enjoy the views, and feel like a small child again as your legs rest on the oversized seat.
Contact: 00 39 030 374 8733; visitlakeiseo.info
