Show and Tell: Around Stresa and Lake Maggiore

Stresa wasn’t on my radar until I meet Sarah from Stresa Travel on Twitter. And after reading the posts she had written on Stresa and Lake Maggiore, my interest in this area piqued even more. Naturally, as we were planning our trip to Piedmont this summer, we added Stresa and Lake Maggiore to our itinerary.

We know that Stresa is a popular destination but little did we know how popular it was until we found it challenging to find accommodation in August. At the end, as we knew Stresa would be packed, we chose Baveno as our base to explore Lake Maggiore. Baveno is only a few minutes drive from Stresa and is served by local ferry, which also makes it a good alternative to visiting the Borromean Islands.

6 Photos from Around Stresa and Lake Maggiore

1. When deciding what to do around Stresa and Lake Maggiore, one thing that got my attention was the bucket lift in Laveno. To get to Laveno by car, we first drove to Intra, and from there we took the ferry to Laveno which takes about 20 minutes. Once you get off the ferry, it’s a short drive to the bucket lift.

We took the open bucket as suggested by Sarah and enjoy the splendid vistas despite the clouds overhead. It was a much longer ride than I expected and if you are afraid of heights, this might not be for you.

2. We also met up with Sarah and her husband Luca at the best sky bar in Stresa at La Palma Hotel. The weather held up for a bit before it decided to crash the party. The view here, well, it was spectacular!

3. The next day it continued to pour but that didn’t stop us from braving the rain as we took the ferry to visit Isola Bella. We weren’t sure whether it was a great idea and looking back, it was a blessing in disguise as we were able to enjoy the visit to the Palace and the gardens without the crowds. Tip: Rent the audio guide which gives you detailed explanation of each room.

4. As the day progressed, the weather cleared up and as the sun made an appearance so did the crowds. We got a peek at how crowded Isola Bella could have beeen and were happy we had the gardens almost to ourselves. Our next stop was Isola Superiore (Isola dei Pescatori) and it looks pretty surreal.

5. Lake Maggiore is no doubt striking but if you are looking for a quaint and low-key setting, Lake Orta is only a short drive away. This is the view of the lake with the island of San Giulio from Sacro Monte di Orta.

6. The next day as we were about the leave the area, it was a glorious day. I got a message from Sarah to drive up to Mottarone (although you could also take cableway up). You’ll have to pay a small fee to get to the parking at the top and once there, it’s a short uphill walk to the peak. We were so glad that we made it up here as the 360 views of the area left me speechless!

Many thanks to Sarah from Stresa Travel for all her tips!

Have you been to Stresa and Lake Maggiore? What are your tips on things to see and do in the area?