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Monday, March 29, 2010

Trattoria San Salvatore


Today we have a guest review from Tony, an American and part-time resident of Lesa, a neighboring town of Stresa. Tony is an inexhaustible source of new and interesting information about Stresa and the area. I've so enjoyed learning from him, and I think you will too. Following, Tony writes about Trattoria San Salvatore, a place you may want to add to your must-eat-at list.


For a leisurely lunch on a clear day in Spring, Summer or the fall, consider Trattoria San Salvatore above Massino Visconti in the Alto Vergante above Stresa and the lake. http://www.trattoriasansalvatore.it/. It is not off the beaten path, but it is at the end of the beaten path. How to get there: go up from Stresa towards the Autostrada, but do not get on. Instead proceed toward Carpugnino and Brovello and then Massino Visconti. You are on SP 38 going towards Nebbiuno. After you go through Massino Visconti, just after you have threaded the narrow one way street, there is a right, well marked to San Salvatore, just before the commuter parking lot. Go up the road, past the Camelot riding stables, and keep following the signs until you turn up a narrow road and up and down until you find yourself in a open parking area across from some rustic buildings. Park there and walk up to the restaurant or the church (began ca. 1350) and the shrines. The restaurant is built onto the lake face of the church. Once you are on the terrace of the restaurant and walk to the front, you will understand what the phrase “location, location, location” means.
Most people we have seen here are from the Alto Vergante, that area above the lake at the level of the Autostrada, from Invorio to Brovello. And most of the young men around the west side of the lake will admit it is number one “first date when you get the car” place. People eat there because of the view and because the prices are very reasonable and the servings are generous. And in the evening, it is rustic romantic. If you are two, order for one. All food is served family style. They have good antipasto, pasta and risotto, and then a variety of meat dishes. No menu, they will tell you what is being served. If you are averse to horse, let them know because one of the sausages is equine. And if you are averse to rabbit, avoid coniglio. House wines, but they also have a very short list of wines by the bottle. And they do have deserts.

You come here to relax and for the view and to impress your companion. You can see the lakes of Varese and up and down Lago Maggiore. And at night you can see the lights of Malpensa and watch the planes taking off. Drive very very carefully on the way down.

Thank you so much Tony... What a gorgeous spot.

This seems like an ideal place for a larger group of travelers, or maybe for at the end of a day trip away, or just to escape summer heat higher in the hills.


Look forward to more information from Tony in the future, and in the meantime, here again is the link for Trattoria San Salvatore.


Thursday, March 25, 2010

A Sample Four-Day, Two-Lake, Two-Country Itinerary


The route of the Lago Maggiore Express. How would you make it your own?

Are you planning your summer trip to Stresa? Thinking about how to organize your days and what you want to see here? From the mails I receive it seems many of you are doing just that. And while you all have your own ideas, your own interests, and your own priorities for your trip, it's helpful sometimes to see a planned itinerary to use as a starting point, to help you dream of your own.

A reader, E., wrote to me asking a couple of questions about her upcoming four-day trip to Stresa. She had already mapped out her days and was filling in the last details. I LOVE her itinerary... With her permission, take a look and see how E. will spend her relatively short stay in the area:

E. will arrive in Stresa and spend two nights in a hotel here on the lake. They plan to explore Stresa in that time, and to take an afternoon and visit Lago Orta, about 30 minutes away.

Lago Orta

After the second night in Stresa they will jump aboard the Lago Maggiore Express, taking the train directly from Stresa and changing in Domodossola to the Centovale Railroad. They plan to use the two-day ticket, which means they can complete the circuit shown above on the map over a two-day period, at their leisure, embarking and disembarking at will. This scenic track will take them through the Valle Vigezzo and the Alps, both Italian and then Swiss, and finally bring them to Locarno, on the Swiss side of Lago Maggiore.

The Centrovale Railroad travels through many spectacular chasms such as this on its journey through the Alps.

From Locarno they will take the Navigazione di Laghi ferry back across the Italian border, where they plan to stop in Cannobio, another special little town on the lake. Here they'll spend a night at Albergo Antica Stallera.

Cannobio's Waterfront

The next day they'll catch a ferry again, back to Stresa and the Borromean Islands. They plan to disembark on Isola Pescatori, where they have booked one night in the lovely Hotel Belvedere. This gives them the afternoon, night, and the next morning the explore the islands.

And from there, finally, they will take the direct shuttle bus from Stresa to Malpensa airport, to catch their flight home. As E. put it in her mail, "I cannot think of a prettier place to spend my last night in Italy!" She's right you know...

I'm sure this itinerary isn't for all of you. Some of you only want to stay in Stresa and do nothing more than stroll and relax. Some are set on an active, outdoor experience. All choices are good. What I do like about this itinerary is the sheer variety of it. It has mountains, valleys, lakes... trains, boats, cars... and it's very doable and not as strenuous as it might seem. The trains and boats are a relaxing way to travel, and what you do in between is entirely up to you. This itinerary can be almost indefinitely adapted to individual tastes, and it can be done in the other direction as well. I hope it inspires you in some way as you plan yours.



Recently I've been getting so many wonderful mails from readers. They challenge us with questions about Stresa, they share stories about times they've been here and what their connections are to here, and they teach me so many things that I didn't yet know about this place. Thanks to E., and to all of you... and keep it coming!


Saturday, March 20, 2010

Fantasy Island -- Prince And Princess Borromeo Give An Interview

The Principe and Principessa a casa, at home.

Not everyone knows that the Palazzo Borromeo on Isola Bella is to this day the family home of the Borromeo family, and that they live there much of the time. But they do, and if you're like me, you probably wonder what their life there is like. We can all get a glimpse now, in the January issue of W magazine, which includes a feature article on Principe and Principessa Borromeo. It's a great article, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the members of the Borromeo family who live in the palace on Isola Bella today. The interviewer met with Principessa Bona Borromeo, her husband Principe Gilberto VIII, their son Count Vitaliano XI, daughter-in-law Marina, her sister Lucrezia, and various grandchildren, on a clear morning last summer.

Take a look at the entire article, entitled Fantasy Island, here... now you'll know a little bit of what they are doing behind those private walls, in the parts of the palace that we don't get to see, while we're wandering around their public gardens frolicking with the white peacocks.

The Salone Grande is open to the public. Built in the 1950s, it was built following plans from the 1700s.

You won't see this on the tour. A bedroom adjacent to the Throne Room features the motto of the family saint over the bed.

A fresco in a private room depicts another Borromeo property.

Want to read more about the Borromeos and their palace? Try these posts:
Meet the Borromeos

Credits: Article in W magazine written by James Reginato and photographed by Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin. All photos courtesy of W magazine. Grazie to reader Tony, for sending me the link to this article.



Monday, March 15, 2010

Spring Season Starts With The Reopening Of The Borromean Properties



It's here! It's here!

Springtime has arrived in Stresa. And with it, the 2010 tourist season officially begins, next Saturday, March 20, with the reopening of the Borromean properties on Isola Bella, Isola Madre, and Il Rocco at Angera. Following that, on Friday March 26, the gates of the botanical garden Villa Taranto in Verbania will also be unlocked.The tiny patches of snow that still remain on the ground will soon disappear, and instead, almost as if by magic, spring's bounty will be bloom everywhere. Here’s what you’ll see in these first weeks:

Isola Madre in her spring slendor, with snow still on the mountains beyond.

On Isola Madre, in the grand nineteenth century park, visitors can walk among the camellia, magnolia, and orchids that have been collected from around this world, learn how and when they first made their journey here, and why this is such an ideal habitat for them. Step inside the palace to discover the Borromean collection of antique marionettes, and at the end of the tour through the house, relax and feel the warmth of the sun while sitting in the original glass greenhouse.

Welcoming Spring in the terraced garden of Isola Bella.

Isola Bella will attend to her visitors as usual, charming them with her Baroque style palace and gardens. At this time of year the terraces will be blooming with camellia, azalea, and rhododendrons. The palace, as always, offers its series of wondrous rooms, filled with furnishings, tapestries, and paintings of great worth. Not to be missed is the Galleria dei Quadri, or the Galleria del Generale Berthier, both reopened in 2008, together with the Sala del Trono, after a long restoration, where 130 paintings are now displayed, arranged as they had originally been, along with their large, ornately carved frames that are an integral part of the walls of the galleries.

One wall of the 15th century fortress Rocaa di Angera

And finally, big news from the Rocco di Angera. Ready for this season, a medieval garden has been completed, offering a magical look at the Middle Ages. The new garden has been excavated around the rocky buttresses fronting Lago Maggiore, and visitors will find it an agreeable spot to stop and meditate on the surroundings. Guests to the Rocco can also visit, as in previous years, il Museo della Bambola e del Giocattolo, il Museo degli Automi, and the Museo delle Ceramiche, museums dedicated to dolls and games, robots, and ceramics. And new for 2010, a show built around the theme of medieval gardens.

All the Borromean properties on the islands and at the Rocco di Angera are open every day during the season, until late October, from 9.30 until 17.30. One exception, the Quadreria dell’Isola Bella is open instead from 9.00 to 13.00, and then again from 13.30 to 17.00 each day.
Grazie to Stresa 2.0 and La Prealpina for this information.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

VIDEO -- The Sacri Monti

We have spoken about three of the local Sacri Monti, those at Orta San Giulia, Ghiffa, and at Domodossola. Now let's visit them again, in this beautiful video produced by the Distretto Turistico dai Laghi. Here, take a quick look at some of the details and exteriors of the sanctuaries, and a view of their grounds. Most impressive is an aerial view of the Sacre Monte Calvario di Domodossola, on its hilltop towering over the town of Domodossola below.


Monday, March 8, 2010

Tre Domande -- Three Questions With Andrea Ferri, Stresa's Go-To Cycling Guy

When you're looking for the outdoor, wilder side of Stresa, you needn't look any further than Andrea Ferri, of Bicico, in Stresa, who is hands-down the local expert on all outdoor activites here. Andrea's knowledge and enthusiasm are so obvious in everything that he does, and I believe that he knows every trail, every hill, every rock and cave in this entire region, and he's ready at any moment to take you to explore them with him.

As part of our continuing series of interviews with interesting Stresiani, I recently asked Andrea three questions, also giving him a chance to practice his English, which you can see is excellent.


Ciao Andrea, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Andrea, and I have started this hobby/work about sixteen years ago. In the winter time I was studying for biomedical engineering in the University of Pavia, and in the summer season I was working at the bike rental centre in Stresa. About three years after my starting season I fell with my bike in a ravine and battered my body and my head... 5 days in COMA, but luckily I wear ALWAYS my helmet and I wasn't alone in the path, a friend ran to search for help. Now 4 years later I'm back at the rental centre... and it's amazing because my hobby is my job... I love my job!

This sports association is filled with expert people who know, love, and explore all the different sport/fun/outdoor activities you can do in our area... we can manage activities in the water, from sailing boat to canyoning, or in the mountain... from mountain biking, free climbing, bouldering, trekking, hiking, training parcourse, and orienteering and nordic walking too!    ....    (continued)

Sunday, March 7, 2010

La Festa Della Donna


I wish I were in Stresa right now... I often wish that of course, but it would be especially nice to be there, or anywhere in Italy for that matter, today, when Italy and much of the world celebrates La Festa della Donna, International Women's Day.

Always on March 8, the origins of the day seem a bit fuzzy, with several different theories on how it began. Some say it can be traced all the way back to a Roman festival marking the beginning of spring. But in its present form most theories say it started much more recently, and with political undertones, in the twentieth century. Now celebrated in many countries around the world, the political meaning has been forgotten, and the day has evolved into an occasion for men to remember the women in their lives. It's a bit different from the romantic nature of Valentine's Day, or the familial nature of Mother's Day. This is a more general appreciation of women as a group, an opportunity to recognize their contributions to society, their achievements and their sacrifices. It's also a time to remind us of the struggle women have endured to obtain their equal rights, and of the oppression that many women in the world still live under.

So how to celebrate? Italian men will give the women in their lives branches of blooming yellow mimosa blossoms, the symbol of the day, to show them that they are thought of and appreciated. The custom has expanded, with women now giving each other sprigs as well.

If you happen to be in Italy today, now you know why you'll see women holding or wearing yellow flowers. And surely you'll notice the carts of mimosa vendors everywhere. Pick up a few, and find someone to give them to. Wouldn't it be lovely to just present them to a total stranger?

Buona Festa della Donna a Tutti le Donne!



Thursday, March 4, 2010

The Sacre Monte Near Stresa



Weddings on Sacro Monte di Ghiffa
Sacro Monte, overlooking Lago Maggiore, Ghiffa

In this Easter season several local tour operators have organized day tours centered around the famous Sacri Monti in this area. Piemonte and Lombardy are rich in these 'sacred mountain' sites, which are valued by the religious for their sanctity, considered of great beauty by virtue of the skill with which they have been integrated into their surroundings, and because they house an incredible amount of important artistic material in the form of frescoes, wall paintings, and statuary. For all these reasons, in 2003 the nine Sacri Monti of Piemonte and Lombardy were inscribed jointly as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Several are located close enough to Stresa to create a day dedicated to discovering them. Here's a quick guide to some of the sites closest to Stresa:

The Sacro Monte di Orta San Giulio is a Roman Catholic complex dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi. It is located on the hill called San Nicolao, overlooking the western shore of picturesque Lago Orta, about a 30-minute drive from Stresa. Construction began in 1583, with the original plan calling for 36 chapels; 20 were ultimately built. Construction ended in 1788. The chapels contain many artworks of very high caliber, having been commissioned by well-known painters and sculptors of the times. The architectural styles can be seen to change with the 200 years of building. The walk to the hill summit is steep, the path between the 20 chapels clearly marked, and the views, architecture, and art offer surprises at every turn.

File:Sacro Monte di Orta cap.15.JPG
Chapel no. 15, Sacro Monte d'Orta San Giulio

Sacro Monte della SS Trinita' di Ghiffa is located in the small community of Ghiffa, about 30 minutes from Stresa, overlooking Lago Maggiore. This complex, dedicated to the mystery of the Trinity, was influenced by an earlier small oratory located here on Mount Cariago. The view of Lago Maggiore is sweeping, and the architecture displays a high level of design. Just as impressive is the landscaping, which clearly required much planning and research. Sadly, the founders and builders are unknown. The Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary Crowned was the first constructed here, in 1647. The main themes represented here in the art work are the Counter Reformation, and later, the Passion of Christ.

File:Sacro Monte Ghiffa Santuario Trinità.JPG
The Sanctuary of the Trinity, at Ghiffa.

File:Sacro Monte di Ghiffa. Fig.1.JPG
Three Angels Visiting Abraham, at Ghiffa.

Sacro Monte Calvario di Domodossola. This Sacro Monte is located on the Mattarella Hill, overlooking the charming town of Domodossola, which is located about 20 minutes north of Stresa, in the foothills of the Alps. This complex was begun in 1657, in response to the wishes of the Capuchin friars Gioacchino da Cassano and Andrea da Rho. The chapels are dedicated to the Via Crucis, the Stations of the Cross, and are positioned along a devotional route which begins on the edge of Domodossola and ends at the summit. The chapel on the summit was completed in 1690 and in 1828 the philosopher Antonio Rosmini founded the Institute of Charity here.

File:Cap. 9, La terza caduta. Cap. 11, La crocefissione.JPG
View of Chapels 9 and 11, Domodossola.File:Sacro Monte di Domodossola. Figure.JPG
Inside Chapel 11, Domodossola, Jesus Dies on the Cross, 1663.

Can you imagine a day planned hiking these areas? What a great combination of serenity, exercise, history, nature, and spirituality. A car is necessary to travel easily between sites, but no site is more than about 30 minutes from another. What a nice idea for a warm spring day, to rent a car, pack up some panini and cheeses, put on your walking shoes, and discover some of the Sacri Monti of Piemonte.

Itinerary idea for the Easter season: How about a day spent wandering the Sacri Monti, a day viewing the spectacular tulip gardens at Villa Taranto, a day trip to Milan to view da Vinci's Last Supper, and a day visiting the Borromean Islands, newly opened for the season? Add a special spring dinner as the perfect finishing touch.



all photos courtesy of Wikipedia.


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