I’m covering my trip a bit backwards here but wanted to share my stay in Stresa and visit to The Borromean Islands. The first part of our trip in Austria was cut short due to bad weather in Salzburg. So after considering Budapest only to be chased away by more rain, we decide to arrive early on Lago Maggiore.
Arrival:
We flew in on Austrian Air from Vienna Airport to Malpenza Milano, rented a car and drove 45 minuted north to Stresa. We stayed at the Grande Hotel d’ Isola Borromeo on Lago Maggiore, which is a short walk from the small town of Stresa. Stresa seems to serve Italian and Northern European “tourism” vacationers, rather than USA/ Worldwide, in comparison to Amalfi, Positano, Florence etc. The vibe is slower, relaxed, fewer people slightly older crowd.
Our Hotel:
Grande Hotel d’ Isola Borromeo has a rich 200-year history since it’s opening on Saturday 21st March 1863. It’s currently the only 5-star hotel in Stresa and it feels old world elite and the crowd to match. The breakfast service on the dining room patio every morning was as chic as a dinner service anywhere else. The staff was formal, attentive yet so kind and helpful as well. The whole place makes you feel like you are royalty.
Every evening the hotel offers a tea service with specialty teas that are expertly selected and blended by their experts. It was the perfect way to end each day.
What to Do on Lago Maggiore:
The Borromean Islands is the must-see attraction on Lago Maggiore. They are a group of three small islands on the Italian side of Lago Maggiore located between the city of Verbania to the north and Stresa to the south. From Stresa, we bought ferry tickets from the main “port” for all three Islands. There are many “ferry” and boat options and some hotels offer a private boat option which I recommend if you have a party larger than 4 people. Then there are smaller “companies” that try and recruit you as a passenger on your walk to the main ferry service. I would avoid them as they have no set schedule, the boats are smaller and boarding docks are sketchy AF.
The first island we visited, Isola Bella, named for Isabella, countess Borromeo, was originally a largely barren rock; after first improvements and buildings, opened by count Carlo III between 1629 and 1652, his son Vitaliano the 6th built an attractive summer palace, bringing in vast quantities of soil in order to build up a system often terraces for the garden. The unfinished building displays paintings by Lombard artists and Flemish tapestries.
The whole palace was the ultimate in interior design inspiration for me with each room more stunningly decorated than the previous. Our self-tour ended in the most impeccable garden. It seemed straight out of a fairytale with white peacocks roaming free across the grounds.
At the end of the garden, we came across the palace outdoor seated cafe and had a quick but delicious lunch before catching the next ferry.
Isola Madre, the largest of the three, and known for its expansive gardens, which have been maintained since about 1823 in an English style. Its palace, though uninhabited, is splendidly furnished with 16th- to 19th-century Italian masterpieces and paintings.
Isola dei Pescatori or Isola Superiore is now the only inhabited island in the archipelago. It has a fishing village, which in 1971 had a population of 208! We came here for a late lunch and walked around the town. The main attraction here are the restaurants and little shops. While the other islands have less dining options.
The Mottarone Cable Car departs every 20 minutes from the Lido in Stresa and is one of the best ways to view Lake Maggiore. We walked from the hotel to the cable car in town. The first stage of the cable car takes you to Alpino where, a 5-minute stroll from the cable car station, you will find the Alpine Gardens, we popped by but did not enter the property.
The second stage of the cable car takes you to Mottarone where it’s a 15-minute walk to the summit. Rather than walking uphill we took the gondola ride to the very top as it was included in our tickets. Finally at the summit was the gorgeous 360° view of all the lakes, and the surrounding mountains. After a little exploring, photos, and some refreshments we strolled down to the cable car.
Off to Milan next, but we did things a little differently! I’ll share more soon!
