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Sunday, January 31, 2010

Stresa Festival 2010 Schedule Is Announced


Carnivale degli Animale -- Villa Pallavicino

Last summer I had the great pleasure of learning about the Stresa Festival, and becoming acquainted with a couple of its organizers. I had heard of this yearly musical event, seen the posters around town, but until I met Filippo and Michela, who help to organize it, I was sadly ignorant of its scope and brilliance. Filippo first contacted me through Stresa Sights, I wrote a couple of guest posts for the then new Stresa Festival blog, and posted the schedule here for readers. I then met them in person at Santa Caterina, during the 2009 performance of the Bach solo concertos for Violincello. When I learned the history of the festival, saw the list and the caliber of the performers, and finally heard a performance for myself I knew that this was nothing ordinary... this is a world-class event of truly spectacular proportions, and I urge any of you who will be in Stresa during its 2010 season to make it a part of your vacation. I promise, I promise, you will not be disappointed.

Fisarmoniche in Liberta' -- Villa S. Remigio

The 2010 schedule has just been set. Certain performances, such as the Bach solo, are traditions that will continue this year. Others are new. Goran Bregovic and his Wedding and Funeral Band, soloists from the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra with Vladimir Askenazy are among the highlights of the 49th Edition of the Settimane Musicale di Stresa. Director of the event is Gianandrea Noseda. To start off the season, on 8 May, will be another standard, the Concerti di Primavera, performed at Villa Pallavicino in Stresa, featuring French accordionist Richard Galliano. In the spring weeks that follow, look for the performances by Astor Paizzolla, Chet Baker, and pianist and composer Phillip Glass.

Rags, Riches, and Blues -- Villa Rusconi-Clerici

Throughout the summer, and into September, the performances continue. What makes these so special, in addition to the caliber of the performers, is the variety and beauty of the venues for the performances.

Certainly we'll talk more of the Stresa Festival in these months. For now, I want you to have the information so that you can consider it in your planning. I am posting a link, in the right column of this blog, to the official site where tickets can be purchased. Please try to include this in your stay here... it is bound to become one of your most cherished memories, as it is for me.


Stresa Festival site. There are wonderful photos, videos, and links to whet your appetite... I hope these photos here are a good appetizer...

Armonie e Turcherie -- Isola Madre, Loggia del Cashmere
all photographs courtesy of Stresa Festival


Sunday, January 24, 2010

Hotel Belvedere, Isola Pescatori -- Travelers' Choice Winner!



Walk up the stairs on the left to reach the terrace of Hotel Belvedere from the beach.

I spent some time wandering, on a very warm spring day last year , around tiny Isola Pescatore. When I stopped for lunch I chose to have it at the restaurant at the Hotel Belvedere. Sitting on the terrace, with the sun warming my skin, watching boats large and small cruise past, I thought to myself that this was a special little corner of the world. And although just a tiny corner, it seems that it has come to the attention of many others as well. Tiny Albergo Ristorante Belvedere, with only eight rooms, was recently chosen by Tripadvisor readers as one of the ten most romantic hotels in Europe. Wow.






The terrace is large, but well hidden from the rest of the island, and oh so quiet.

From March through November Isola Pescatori can be somewhat crowded with tourists. But the Belvedere, located on the northeastern side, is on the opposite side of the island from the landing dock, and therefore quieter. That's why I chose it for my lunch spot. The gravel terrace has enough tables and umbrellas for 200, and the restaurant inside seats the same amount. The menu is a nice selection of fresh local fish, cheese made in the Ossala valley, Piemontese wines, even the rice is from a local producer. The carefully tended garden surrounding the terrace had bowers of climbing plants that were only starting to open when I was there. Imagine how they are blooming by the middle of the summer.

From the beach and terrace, always a view of Isola Madre.

I walked through the indoor restaurant. It often hosts banquests and wedding receptions. Old photographs show that at one time the walls were covered completely in small stones, but a renovation in 2004 covered them. The eight guest rooms were also renovated at that time. Six of the rooms have large balconies that look out towards Isola Madre. All the rooms have en suite baths, some with hydromassage tubs, and all have their own heating and air conditioning systems.

And the view from the room is pretty special also...

The tourist boats do not run all night to the island; in fact they stop around dinner time even in the high season. Therefore, the crowds of the day leave. The island takes on a different persona then, with only its 50 full-time residents and a handful of guests. It becomes still, peaceful, and quiet. Guests who want to come for dinner at one of the restaurants need to make private arrangements with a water taxi. Guests staying at the hotel can stroll, listen to the water, watch the lights twinkling in Stresa and Baveno. It does sound romantic, doesn't it?

Here's the link to Hotel Belvedere:
And here's the link to the entire list of Travelers' Choice 2010 selections on Tripadvisor:
www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice

And here, another post about Isola Pescatori:
stresasights.blogspot.com/2009/03/isola-pescatore

some photos courtesy of Hotel & Ristorante Belvedere


Thursday, January 21, 2010

Stresa On Video

Here are two videos of Stresa to enjoy...

I recently came across the first, which is a video advert for Stresa -- from a Japanese TV station! I can't even be sure who made the video, but it's well-made, and it's nice to see that Stresa is known and promoted as a destination. They emphasize food a lot in the video, which I like to see. If anyone reading this knows what it says, please feel free to share it with us!

The second video was produced by one of the local tourism bureaus. From a helicopter you get a nice overview of the lungolago, some of the villas in Stresa, and then a fly-by of Isola Bella and Isola Pescatore. Enjoy them both!




Sunday, January 17, 2010

A Place For Everyone



Stresa has a full range of places to stay: old-world 4- and 5-star hotels to small, family-run 2- and 3-star ones, to comfortable Bed and Breakfasts in charming homes, agriturismos, and self-catering apartments in all sizes and locations. There is something for every budget, every traveler, every desire. Whether you want to stay in the center of town, in solitude up in the mountains, in a luxury hotel, or with locals in their Bed and Breakfast, there's a place for you.

The best way to find accommodations and read reviews is by using the major booking sites. Not all places are listed on all sites, so you may want to look at several sites and compare. You may want to contact accommodations privately if you have questions. Things to be certain of are the EXACT location (will you be able to walk where you want to go? Is there parking for your car?), the condition, the amenities (do you need a washing machine? WiFi? English TV channels?), the total, final price, and so on.

Most accommodations in Stresa are listed on at least one of the following sites:

HomeAway
Holiday Lettings/Trip Advisor
Booking.com
Airbnb


This hotel list, from a older post, still serves as a good list in one place of the main hotels in Stresa. The list is organized in descending order, beginning with the five-star hotels and then down. Most of the hotels listed have links to their own websites or you can find them on the above booking sites.

And hey, we can't let pass this opportunity to mention our own Stresa Apartments. La Lombarda offers four apartments in the center of Stresa, while Bella Vista has four apartments five minutes up the mountain, in charming Someraro, with stunning lake views. Take a look at stresaapartments and contact us if you would like more information.

This is our West apartment at Bella Vista. Contact us for information on all our apartments!

Something for everyone... from world-famous five-star hotels,
(Hotel des iles Borromees)


to beautiful boutique hotels,
(Hotel and Residence La Luna nel Porto)


or stay and eat well at one of the several agriturismo,
(Agriturismo il Monterosso)


or have breakfast overlooking the lake at a charming, family-run B and B,
(Lo Scoiattolo e la Noce B and B)



Saturday, January 16, 2010

Fil da Fer

Fil da Fer served hot at Ristorante Casa della Neve atop Mt. Mottarone.
The winters are long and cold in the mountains of the Italian Alps of Piemonte. The highest mountain in the Alps, Mont Blanc, is near the Italian-French border, and the second highest, Monte Rosa, straddles the Swiss-Italian, not far at all from Stresa. Its peak is clearly visible as we drive into Stresa from Milan, it dominates the view to the north from Mt. Mottarone, and even from Lago Maggiore and the Borromean Islands I can see Monte Rosa. The point is, it's cold up in all those mountains. The people living on Monte Rosa long ago concocted a liquore to help warm the long winter days and nights. The legend has it that it was during a prolonged and brutal blizzard which they passed safely in a shelter stored with foods. They combined their simple mountain distilled whiskey with some of the supplies, and a drink was invented. They called it fildafer. It is a Piemontese dialect word which means threads of iron. Imagine red-hot iron down your throat. That would warm you up...

Today Fil da Fer is produced by the Distilleria Monterosa, using the same ingredients of old. The drink is a mixture of whisky rye, milk, sugar, egg yolks, marsala, and just a hint of vanilla. It can be drank at room temperature, but most often it is heated; now it warms you in two ways. The slightly thick, bright orange liquore is packaged by Distilleria Monterosa in attractive bottles and flasks, making it a nice gift from the region. But the better way to try it is atop Mt. Mottarone, at one of the ski-lodge-type restaurants found there, sitting in front of a fireplace and looking out the windows at the skiers and the snow.

Ristorante Casa della Neve.

I had my first taste in this way, at Ristorante Casa della Neve. This is one of a few rustic looking restaurants that can be found at the summit of Mt. Mottarone. The back of the restaurant has expansive views of Lago Maggiore far below. The front entrance has an 'undressing' area, with large hooks along the walls, useful for the skiers in winter and the mountain bikers in summer. In the center is a stone fireplace, surrounded by a few couches; they are close enough to the fire to really feel the heat. My fildafer was served hot, in a small glass cup with a metal handle. The drink was warm and slightly sweet. The fire was crackling and hot. Outside the snow was white and the sky crisp and clear all the way to Milano. Those early mountain men really knew how to brighten a cold winter day.

Here's the spot to drink your fil da fer.

Even if you are not a fan of skiing or snowboarding, Mt. Mottarone is interesting to visit in the winter. Dress warm, sit by the fire, read a book, drink fildafer, while you wait for your skiing friends to join you. Read more about Mt. Mottarone in the winter:



Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Who Loves Stresa?

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Well, I do! And if you're here maybe you do too, and it seems, as we know now from a recently published book, that throughout history many have found this region to be worthy of special praise. "Dove comincia la bella Italia"; that is the name of the 247-page book recently published by the Lions Club of Verbano Borromeo. Here within are gathered together the words and stories of painters, writers, artists, politicians, and other well-known personalities who visited, and left their words, paintings, and statues about the area. It focuses on Lago Maggiore, Lago Orta, and the Valle Ossolane, and more precisely, the area which includes Stresa and the Borromean islands. For example, Gustave Flaubert called Isola Madre "an earthly Paradise... It is the most luscious place that I have ever seen". Agreeing with him on this were the composers Felix Mendelssohn and Franz Liszt. Maybe that is one reason that today the Stresa Festivale Musicale each year inspires musicians and music lovers alike...

Writers from around the world and throughout history have found the islands to be truly exceptional places. From Denmark's Hans Christian Andersen to England's Charles Dickens, to Germany's Wilhelm Richard Wagner, and France's Alexandre Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers. Then there were the Russian author Nikolai Gogol and Frankenstein authoress Mary Shelley, and don't forget Ernest Hemingway, of whom we have already spoken.

Among the first painters who painted the islands was the Flemish painter Bruegel, who visited in the 16th century, then Corot, who painted several views, and one of my favorite stories, the Dutch master Muller, who was sentenced to die for having murdered his wife, but was saved from this fate by the Borromees, who hid him on Isola Bella. In exchange, he painted 70 paintings for them. Certainly he loved Stresa...

Who else? There were Napolean and Josephone, also guests at the palace, Giuseppe Garibaldi, who came often. Dumas loved Mottarone. And Nietzsche and his love Lou Salome' shared their first kiss in front of Lago Orta.

Aren't we in good company with our affections for this beautiful lake and her islands?

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Win Three Nights At TorreBarolo

Views
The arrow points to TorreBarolo, where you can win a three-night stay.

Here's a great chance to win a three-night stay in your own tower in Barolo, in the Langhe Valley of Piemonte. Blogger Megan, of TorreBarolo, is holding a drawing with the winning prize being three nights in her rental tower, which overlooks the vineyards and hills of the beautiful Langhe region of Piemonte.

All you need to do to be included in this drawing is become a fan of TorreBarolo on its Fan Page on Facebook, and you'll automatically be entered. The drawing will be held at the end of January, and the winner will be notified with a Facebook message.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Friends Of Stresa Sights


S.V. Date first wrote to me with some questions about his hotel reservation for New Year's Eve in Stresa. We assisted him with his concerns, and he and his family have reported back that they had a lovely time here in Stresa, and at Hotel Mon Toc. The photo he has sent is of his family atop Mt. Mottarone, where his sons experienced their first-ever encounter with snow. The Date family is in the middle of quite an adventure... take a look at their blog, Juno's Journey, at www.junoatsea.blogspot.com, and read all about their two-year boat journey around the world.

It's been a pleasure being able to assist the Date family in Stresa!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

L'Epifania -- The Procession Of The Three Kings


[Re+Magi++Stresa.jpeg]
Three Kings make their annual procession through Stresa.

With la Festa dell'Epifania, on January 6, Italy marks the end of its long holiday season. Children all over Italy wait on Epifania Eve on January 5 to see what la Befana, the witch woman, will leave for them in their hanging stockings. Will it be little toys and candies, or, have they been naughty and therefore receiving only a lump of coal? Her name, Befana, is most likely a corruption of Epifania, and the legend is that la Befana was busy sweeping her house when the three Wise Men stopped on their journey to visit the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. She was invited to go also, but, too busy with her sweeping, she did not. Later, when her work was finished, she took her broom and went looking for them, but became lost. And so, to this day, she still searches for them on each Epifania Eve.

Stresa's children also will wake on L'Epifania and check their stockings to see what the Befana has left. But then, they may head outside to witness Stresa's own Epifania tradition, the annual March of the Three Wise Kings.

This year, the return to the year zero of the Christian era begins at 12:30, in Piazza Cadorna. Before the procession of the Kings begins, Stresiani and visitors are treated to warm traditional foods served from tables set up in the piazza. Polenta "concia" is served, as well as polenta with wild boar, and tripe. At 2 pm, small shops, more like market stands, open, with craftspeople representing the old trades of the time. And then, at 3:30, the procession begins. They leave from the Palazzo dei congressi, Joseph and Mary, the angels, the shepards, and the chimney sweeps. The Three Kings are stationed along the route: Gaspare at the Palazzo dei congressi, Baldassarre at the little piazza San Michele, and Melchiore on via Anna Maria Bolongaro. At 4 pm they reunite, meeting at the 'Court of Herod', this year represented by the staircase at Villa Ducale on the lungolago. From here, the entire procession moves to the 'grotto', arranged as always in the park of Villa Ducale. Here, they find the manger, and bestoy their gifts upon, Bambino Gesu, the baby Jesus.




Saturday, January 2, 2010

Mt. Mottarone Cableway Is Closed

Ok, let's get back to work. Let's start the new year with some news from Mt. Mottarone...

Most unfortunately, for skiers and sight-seers alike, the cableway to Mt. Mottarone has been closed for maintenance and repairs. The status of the work is unknown, and it's unknown when it will reopen. In the meantime, Mt. Mottarone remains fully open for skiing and the conditions are great. To replace the cableway, buses are running during the day from the parking lot at the base of the cableway to the summit and back again. There is a 13.50 euro charge for the round trip. In addition, it is possible to drive up to the summit; the drive takes about 20 minutes, and the last portion of the road has a small toll fee.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year! Buon Anno 2010!

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumb_295/1217642359U2qGo2.jpg

Happy new year to all! May it be for all of you a year filled with more smiles than frowns, more grins than grimaces, and more laughs than tears.

And now, let's get back to work! There's still so much about Stresa and Lago Maggiore that we have to discover together, and so much that we have to do this year. I'm looking forward to a wonderful year of sharing Stresa with all of you... please come back often to see what's happening here.

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