Tag Archives: Isola Bella

Stresa – Lago Maggiore

02 Wednesday Mar 2016

Posted by in Stresa

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Often when I think about a village or town I have visited in Italy, I think, that one is my favourite.  I have come realise that I have so many favourites. How does one really pick a favourite when Italy is full of the most amazing and beautiful places?

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The last time I was in Italy I returned to a very beautiful town, Stresa.  I had visited Stresa several years earlier and promised myself then that one day I would return.

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Stresa is situated on Italy’s second largest lake, Lago Maggiore, which has 11 islands, the most famous being the Borromean Islands which includes the very unique Isola Bella.

Stresa is an easy train trip from Milan. Its main train station is well positioned close to most hotels and not far from the lake. It is just a short taxi ride, however it is also an easy walk.  While we were there, we took the train into Milan just for the day starting off with a short walk from our hotel. When we left Stresa, we took the luxury comfortable shuttle coach directly to the international airport in Milan.

We had 8 magic days in Stresa, staying at La Fontana hotel which is right by the lake with stunning views towards the islands.

Each day, and often twice a day, we walked in to the township of Stresa. Walking along the lakefront promenade is a perfect way to start any day and a delightful way to end a day.

 

Come for a walk with me along the promenade. Here are some of the many sights you will see. Many of these stunningly grand hotels were built in the early 1900’s.

 

While staying in Stresa, we took the local public ferry boat to many of the other towns on the lake plus we visited 3 of the Borromean Islands . Such a pleasant way to travel. Each town we visited was only a short distance.

It is so very easy to get around in Stresa. The roads are wide making driving a breeze and there is plenty of parking which is also available in the hotels.

Of course if you are up to it, just put on those walking shoes and take in the exquisite beauty of Stresa on Lago Maggiore. You will not be disappointed.

My reasons for travelling to Italy – Series – Gardens

23 Tuesday Jun 2015

Posted by in Gardens in Italy, My reasons for travelling to Italy

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Gardens in Italy – Many people think Italy has the best gardens in the world.

The gardens of Italy are amongst some of the world’s great treasures.

I have visited many beautiful gardens in many countries, however, my favourite are the spectacular gardens of Italy; especially the Mediterranean gardens.

Yet, I have visited stunning residential gardens in many different parts of Italy; From the Amalfi Coast, to the Adriatic Coast to the lakes in the north and also on the Italian Riviera coastal area. This journey from the North to the very south of Italy takes you through many picturesque landscapes and gardens.

What makes these gardens in Italy so spectacular? I put it down to the weather and probably the good rich Italian soil. The beautiful fresh produce that they grow is testimony to this.

Beautiful gardens are everywhere in Italy. They include the casual to the formal to the very dramatic. We do not necessarily need to visit the formal gardens that are on show from Napoli to Lago Maggiore to experience the extravagance of the thousands of gardens. These gardens can be in the form of little village gardens, beautifully displayed hanging pot plants, medieval gardens, renaissance gardens, botanical gardens and early baroque gardens.

There are magnificent gardens in the private villas, some of which I have visited in the Tuscan hills, Stresa (Isola Bella) and Rome.

I have wandered through sleepy little villages that look so proud with their gorgeous little gardens and hanging pots of colour.  And don’t forget the residential vegetable gardens which often are a work of art in their own way.

I try to create some of these beautiful gardens back here in Australia however living in the sub-tropics is not necessarily conducive to Mediterranean gardens as our humidity is too high.

I do however have a small Mediterranean garden which is designed around an olive tree and includes rosemary, basil, lavender, geraniums and Bougainvillea.  I call this my very own little piece of Italy.

My reasons for travelling to Italy – Series – Viste (sights)

06 Friday Feb 2015

Posted by in My reasons for travelling to Italy, Viste

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After many years of travelling to and around Italy, I have put together a snapshot of some of the beautiful places where I have spent time.  These are not always the places that first come to mind when one thinks of Italy. In fact they are places that were special to me and have left wonderful memories in my mind and heart.  Some of the photos you will recognize and some you may never have heard of.

So here are 25 reasons to visit Italy. Maybe  these photos will make you want to jump on a plane right now and fly to Italy.

Amalfi Coast –  this is where dreams are made.  Is a stretch of coastline on the southern coast of the Sorrentine Peninsula in Southern Italy.  The Amalfi coast consists of many beautiful little townships and villages. I rented an apartment here for 2 weeks and really experienced the area, especially the beaches.

Vieste – Is a glorious marine resort on the southeast Adriatic coast of Italy. It appeared to be a very popular holiday destination for Italians as we felt as though we were the only English-speaking visitors.  We took a jet boat ride out to the caves which were very beautiful although we were concerned about the lack of safety precautions by the jet boat company.

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Venice – one of my favourite major cities in Italy. I have visited this fabulous city many times and each time I discover more and I like it more.

Trulli – Alberobello.  These are traditional Apulian dry stone huts with a conical roof from the 19th century.

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Pievebovigliana in Marche is a commune within the Monti Sibillini National park. I rented a house here for a month.

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Camerino – An impressive small hill town on the border between Marche and Umbria. It is home to the University of Camerino founded in the Middle Ages.  I visited this great little town many times as I was staying in Pievebovliana which was only about 20 mins drive away.

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Monti Sibillini – part of the central Apennines situated between Umbria and Marche

Norcia – Umbria is located in the plain of Monti Sibillini

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Assisi –  In Umbria was the birthplace of St Francis

Florence – the capital of Tuscany (Toscano) is considered to be the birthplace of the Renaissance

Pisa – a definite tourist destination but it is a must at least once when visiting Italy

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San Gimignano – I love hilltop towns and this is by far one of my favourites.  Great restaurants, great views and great shops.

Siena – in Tuscany is famous for its Palio, a horse race held twice a year.

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Milan – one of the most famous fashion cities in the world.

Lago Maggiore is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps in northern Italy on the border of Switzerland.

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Isola Bella is one of the beautiful islands on Lake Maggiore where I saw white peacocks for the first time

Stresa – on the shores of Lake Maggiore. After spending 8 days in this beautiful part of the world I ended up with hundreds of gorgeous photos of its spectacular views.

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Santa Caterina del Sasso Ballaro –  a monastery perched on a rocky ridge on the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore

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Fortress of Angera – Castle on Lago Maggiore

Bagni di Lucca – I rented an apartment and stayed here for a month.  Every day was a day of new discoveries, meeting new people, visiting many of the towns and villages in the area and “living” the local life.  This was definitely living the dream.

Barga – This medieval hilltop town is just a short drive from Bagni di Lucca. Another place that took my breath away.

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Cinque Terre – The 5 lands.  This is a definite must when visiting Italy. I have stayed here several times and enjoy every minute of it every time. It is very easy to access by train from almost anywhere in Italy.

Rome – view from Castel San Angelo

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Trevi Fountain  –  in Rome is one of the most famous fountains in the world.  It is a popular tourist attraction and I might add, almost impossible to take a photograph free of people.

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Lake Albano – Looking down from Castel Gandolfo where the pope has his summer residence – 24 kilometres from Rome

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Sunset over Rome

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If I have missed one of your favourites, please let me know and I will add it next time.

 

Pure Beauty – Lago Maggiore

12 Friday Sep 2014

Posted by in Cable Car Stresa - Alpina - Mottarone, Lake Maggiore

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Within about a 10 minute walk from our hotel,  La Fontana Hotel in Stresa, is the Stresa- Mottarone Cable car.  We headed off on foot just after breakfast to take the 9.30 cable car which departs from the Piazzale Lido Station and goes up the side of Mount Mottrarone.  The ride took about 20 minutes each way and gave us a fabulous bird’s-eye view of Lake Maggiore, the Borromean Islands, the Po Valley, and the Alps

Once we reached the station at the top, we then took the chair lift up to the 4,895-foot summit.

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The cable car runs every 20 minutes everyday during the summer from 09.30 to 17.40  with an hour break for lunch.

The cable car ride is about 20 minutes followed by a chair lift to the top of the mountain however you can walk from the cable car station at the top to the summit which will take another 15 minutes. If you are fit, you can walk all the way and if you miss the last cable car for the day you will need to walk back down.

The views in June were spectacularly clear with all the lakes visible from that height. Snow was still on the high alps. The towns in the valley are also clearly visible. What a vista!

From the summit you can see 7 lakes. Lake Maggiore, Lake Orta, Lake Mergozzo, Lake Varese, Lake Comabbio, Lake Monate and Lake Biandronno

The cable car has a mid station at Alpino where you can alight and take a mainly flat pleasant walk to visit the Alpine Gardens. Once again, the scenery along the way is gorgeous.  The gardens cover an area of approximately 40,000m2  with wonderful panoramic views.  The Alpine gardens are well worth a visit They were a welcome break for us.

The Alpine Gardens are 300m from the Alpino mid-way station and are open everyday April to October.  Adults costs € 4 and children 4-12 years cost € 3.

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After spending a delightful hour or so in the gardens we then found a great little restaurant close to the cable car station and enjoyed some lovely local cooking.

If you love nature, walking and enjoy beautiful views, or you are just looking to relax, take a trip up the mountain in the cable car.

One Perfect Day – Island Hopping

03 Thursday Jul 2014

Posted by in Isola Bella, Lake Maggiore, One Perfect Day

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This was our day to take the boat to 3 of the islands in Lago Maggiore.  We were blessed with the perfect weather. Blue blue skies and crystal clear water.

Lake Maggiore is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps.  It is the second largest lake in Italy  The lake and its shoreline are divided between Piedmont and Lombardy region and the largest lake of the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.

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Firstly we cruised out to Isola Madre where we stayed for about 2 hours. We paid to visit the gardens and the palace which were well worth every cent. I have been to many palaces in Italy over the years but I am always impressed by the size of the rooms, the paintings, the frescos, the artwork and the beauty.

Isola Madre is part of the Borromean archipelago and home to an exotic garden of plants, birds and flowers, this magical island is considered a botanical garden on water.  These botanical gardens are beautifully designed. Isola Madre is all gardens so you must pay to enter the gardens and the villa.

Isolo Madre is a beautiful island  with  a XVI Century palace, Borromea, which is surrounded by an enchanting English style garden. You will also see white and standard peacocks everywhere in these gardens.  We enjoyed exploring this  stunning palace with its unique  theatre rooms with  old classic marionettes, which are set out on stages with special effects

We stopped for coffee at this lovely outdoor café before hopping back on to the boat and heading over to Isola dei Pescatori.

Isola dei Pescatori (island of the fishermen) was such a lovely surprise to me as I was not expecting it to be just so beautiful. There are lots of restaurants and great shopping.  It is the only one to be inhabited all year round. Unlike Isola Bella and Isola Madre, the island no longer belongs to the Borromeo.  While the traditional occupation of fishing still exists—local restaurants providing a ready market for the fish—tourism has become central to the economic life of the island as its picturesque charms have made Isola dei Pescatori a popular destination, particularly for day-trippers, but also for more extended visits. In addition to the hotel(s), restaurants and gift-shops, there are boutiques selling craft products.

We stopped for lunch at this lovely restaurant on the lake’s edge.

This lovely old tree on Isola dei Pescatori is a 200-year-old wisteria.

200yr old wisteria

After a couple of wonderful hours on this gorgeous island, one could easily spend much more time here, we hopped back on to a boat and headed for Isola Bella.

Isola Bella is one of the three magical islands on Lake Maggiore and possibly the most popular.  Isola Bella charms visitors with its magnificent Baroque palace and terraced gardens that slope to the lake.

 

The belle epoc palace is one thing but the over-the-top gardens are just stunning.  I loved everything about the gardens and have visited a couple of times over the years. The setting, the flowers, the designs and the views come together to make a uniquely beautiful garden

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After another couple of amazing hours on this lovely island we hopped back on to the boat and made our way back to Stresa feeling very happy after One Perfect Day.

All three of these islands deserve their own stories which I will do one day.

Bellisima – Isola Bella

09 Monday Dec 2013

Posted by in Isola Bella

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While staying in Stresa on Lake Maggiore in Northern Italy we took the ferry across the lake to the magnificent Isola Bella ( ‘beautiful island’)  It is only about 500 metres to the island and takes about 10 minutes to travel across. Definitely too quick to take in all the beauty. Isola Bella is 320 metres long by 400 metres wide and is entirely occupied by the Palace and its elaborate Italian gardens

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The ferry also runs regularly from Laveno, Pallanza and Intra as it is a popular tourist attraction.

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I recommend that you go with the big boat, not the small private ones, as they try to sell you a roundtrip on a private tour for 100 Euro when you can get it for as cheap as 15 Euro on the large boats.

The beautiful Italian gardens are spread across ten terraces that are ornamented with flowers, fountains, topiary trees and the ever present white peacocks complete the estate. This was my first introduction to white peacocks. They are just so magnificent and are so happy to pose for the camera.

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On a clear day the views are spectacular and if you like photography, this is fabulous.

A visit to the palace can take over an hour if you do the guided audio tour. The gardens will take less time but you may want to just walk around and enjoy the magnificent views. The views from gardens of the lake and the mountains are amazing. An absolute ‘must see’ attraction.

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I have been to many amazing palaces/castles in Europe but this was one of my favorites. The setting of the Borromeo Palace on Isola Bella is just stunning. The views from the lake also were splendid.

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The palace itself is resplendent with Murano glass chandeliers, Flemish tapestries, paintings by “The Masters” etc. and fascinating cave like grotto rooms filled with Roman and Etruscan antiquities. There’s a small street with shops, cafes and restaurants just a short walk from the dock where you can relax and enjoy the views across the lake. If you are in the area be sure to make the time for this visit.

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Stresa is definitely worth visiting also – it is such a delightful town with the most beautiful countryside.