Lungolago di Stresa

Stresa

For the best passeggiata (afternoon stroll) on Lake Maggiore head for Stresa, where a 2km-long lakeside promenade meanders through florid gardens and past grand Liberty-style hotels, with the attractive hump of Isola Bella omnipresent across the water. The journey northwest from the Stresa ferry dock takes you past a couple of cafes, several prestigious hotels and a variety of statues, fountains and sculptures, many of them dedicated to events and personalities from WWII.

A convenient turn-around point is the ferry dock at Carciano, also base station for the Monte Mottarone cable-car.

Suggest an edit to this attraction

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Santuario della Madonna del Sasso

23.52 MILES

Overlooking the town, this sanctuary was built after the Virgin Mary supposedly appeared in a vision to a monk, Bartolomeo d’Ivrea, in 1480. There’s a…
Duomo

26.91 MILES

Como’s awesome marble-clad cathedral is one of the most important buildings on the lake, incorporating a variety of styles – Romanesque, Renaissance and…
Passalacqua

27.24 MILES

This elegant 18th-century villa on the banks of Lake Como was once home to composer Vincenzo Bellini is now an award-winning luxury hotel.
Isole Borromeo

0.86 MILES

The Borromean Gulf forms Lake Maggiore's most beautiful corner, sheltering the Borromean Islands and their spectacular, privately owned palaces. Closest…
Villa della Porta Bozzolo

8.62 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…
Castello Visconteo

23.08 MILES

Named after the Visconti clan that long ruled Milan, this fortified 15th-century castle’s nucleus was raised around the 10th century. It now houses a…
Parco Archeologico di Castelseprio

19.01 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,…
Palazzo Borromeo

0.84 MILES

Presiding over 10 tiers of spectacular terraced gardens roamed by peacocks, this baroque palace is arguably Lake Maggiore's finest building. Wandering the…

View more attractions

Nearby Stresa attractions

1. Parco della Villa Pallavicino

0.74 MILES

An easy 1km walk southeast of central Stresa along the SS33 main road, the Pallavicino is a 19th-century neoclassical villa set in banked lakeside grounds…

2. Palazzo Borromeo

0.84 MILES

Presiding over 10 tiers of spectacular terraced gardens roamed by peacocks, this baroque palace is arguably Lake Maggiore's finest building. Wandering the…

3. Isole Borromeo

0.86 MILES

The Borromean Gulf forms Lake Maggiore's most beautiful corner, sheltering the Borromean Islands and their spectacular, privately owned palaces. Closest…

4. Chiesa di San Vittore

1.2 MILES

This tiny church on equally tiny Isola Superiore generally gets more tourists than congregation, except on 14 August when its saintly figurine – the…

5. Giardino Botanico Alpinia

1.72 MILES

More than 1000 alpine and subalpine species flourish in this 4-hectare botanical garden set partway up Monte Mottarone. It was founded in 1934 and…

6. Isola Madre

1.75 MILES

The closest of the three islands to Verbania, Isola Madre is entirely taken up by the Palazzo Madre and the lovely gardens that surround it. The 16th- to…

7. Museo dell’Ombrello e del Parasole

2.07 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…

8. Villa Rusconi-Clerici

2.52 MILES

This 19th-century villa with English-style gardens hosts occasional concerts and other events, though it's mostly used for weddings and other conferences …

View more attractions