Top choice in Orta San Giulio
Delicious home cooking emerges from the kitchen of this honest-to-goodness agriturismo (the name translates as 'wooden spoon'); expect fish fresh from the lake, and salami and cheese from the surrounding valleys. When eating al fresco on the vine-draped patio it feels rather like you're dining at the house of a friend. Limited opening; bookings essential.
There's a clutch of bright, snazzy rooms, too (doubles €80). It's located in tiny Legro, 800m south of the Orta–Miasino train station.
8.87 MILES
The Borromean Gulf forms Lake Maggiore's most beautiful corner, sheltering the Borromean Islands and their spectacular, privately owned palaces. Closest…
16.1 MILES
In the unassuming town of Casalzuigno, about 9km east of Laveno, generations of nobles have swanned about the magnificent gardens of Villa della Porta…
Parco Archeologico di Castelseprio
21.5 MILES
Spread out in peaceful woods about 1.5km outside the village of Castelseprio, around 20km south of Varese, is the ancient archaeological site of Sibrium,…
8.84 MILES
Presiding over 10 tiers of spectacular terraced gardens roamed by peacocks, this baroque palace is arguably Lake Maggiore's finest building. Wandering the…
10.31 MILES
One of northern Italy's most spectacularly sited monasteries, Santa Caterina del Sasso clings to the high rocky face of Lago Maggiore's southeast shore…
25.28 MILES
Set in subtropical parkland, Parco Scherrer, 400m west of the boat stop in Morcote, is the dream come true of textile merchant and art enthusiast Hermann…
1.17 MILES
Anchored barely 500m in front of Piazza Mario Motta is Isola San Giulio. The island is dominated by the 12th-century Basilica di San Giulio, full of…
26.84 MILES
Rising in a pyramid above Lake Lugano, 1097m Monte San Giorgio has become Ticino’s mountain of myth thanks to its rich stash of Triassic marine-life…
1. Sacro Monte di San Francesco
0.78 MILES
Beyond the lush gardens and residences that mark the hill rising behind Orta is a kind of parallel ‘town’ – the sacro monte, where 20 small chapels…
0.92 MILES
A short walk uphill from the Piazza Mario Motta on the waterfront, this church dates back to the 15th century, though it was rebuilt in the 1700s. It has…
0.96 MILES
Overlooking the forest-lined banks of the shimmering Lake Orta, this shore-hugging village has abundant allure. It occupies a kidney-shaped peninsula with…
0.96 MILES
Here's a picture of how life really should be lived: rise early and head for a coffee on Piazza Mario Motta, gazing across at the sun-struck Isola San…
1.17 MILES
Anchored barely 500m in front of Piazza Mario Motta is Isola San Giulio. The island is dominated by the 12th-century Basilica di San Giulio, full of…
1.18 MILES
This atmospheric church is the main attraction on the tiny Isola San Giulio and was built over various periods dating back to the 9th century. Its bell…
5.95 MILES
When Milan's superstar bishop San Carlo Borromeo (1538–84) was declared a saint in 1610, his cousin Federico ordered the creation of a sacro monte in his…
8. Museo dell’Ombrello e del Parasole
6.49 MILES
Those driving to Mottarone or Orta San Giulio (for Lake Orta) from Stresa could stop in Gignese (8km from Stresa) for the intriguing Museo dell’Ombrello e…