Lake Ma GGiore and SurroundinG MountainS Sales Guide 2016 . 2017 Sales Guide Highlights Quick Guide 2016 / 2017 Contents BORROMEO ISLANDS Central Lago incontrovertibly the heart of Lago Maggiore and a place of art “par excellence”: isola Bella, isola Madre and isola dei Pescatori. Situated in the Gulf of Borromeo, all three of them have fascinated people throughout history: with the art and culture of a great ruling dynasty: the General information 4 Borromeo family. there are so many attractions for the visitor to wonder at: grandiose ter- Map raced gardens with palazzo, an authentic fishing village with picturesque houses, one of the most spectacular botanic gardens anywhere in the world with many exotic plants – and so Travel information Isola dei Pescatori much more. Taxiboats, Shipyards and Boat Rental Services Coach Rental Services VILLA TARANTO Verbania-Pallanza Golf Courses a villa built in the 1830s by a Scot, Captain neil Mceacharn, and in the meantime one of the richest botanical gardens in the world. With thousands of plant species – eucalyptus, azalea, Events rhododendron, magnolia, maple, camellia and dahlia, it stretches over an area measuring 16 hectares. upper Lago 9 PARcO NAzIONALE VAL GRANDE Ossola Valleys Central Lago 13 this national park situated between the Val d’ossola, the Val Vigezzo and Lago Maggiore the Gardens of Villa Taranto measures 15,000 hectars and is noted as the largest integrated natural wild reserve in italy; Lower Lago 19 here nature has been preserved in all its primal wildness. east Shore and Varese 22 ISOLA DI S. GIuLIO Lake Orta Legend has it that S. Giulio was a dangerous snakes’ nest transformed by St Julius in 390 ad the Swiss part of the Lake 27 into a centre of the Christian mission. its Basilica di San Giulio is noted as one of the most out- standing romanesque buildings in the whole of Piedmont. ossola Valleys 30 MONTE ROSA Ossola Valleys the boundary between italy and Switzerland runs along the ridge of this high mountain Lake orta 36 Isola di San Giulio with an altitude of 15,200 feet. it is the second highest mountain in the alps, separating the Gressoney Valley in the Valle d’aosta from the Val Sesia. the highest mountain station in novara, Vineyards europe is situated here at 14,957 feet, the “rifugio Margherita”. and Paddy Fields 40 Alpe Veglia e Alpe Devero Nature Park ALPE VEGLIA E ALPE DEVERO NAT uRE PARK Ossola Valleys nature 46 this nature park at the Swiss border, dominated by the towering skyline of the alpe Veglia and alpe devero, is fascinating for its diversity of vegetation: with waterfalls, rivers, lakes, and Hotels 48 above all vast stretches of untouched countryside with the Cascata di Buscagna and the Lago di Codelago; a thrilling experience, and not only for nature lovers. Camping 60 VILLA PALLAVIcINO Stresa B&B and more 62 Monte Rosa the villa gardens extend over an area of more than 16 hectares and form the “balcony” of Lago Your contact: Maggiore. Visitors young and old can delight in its glorious world of plants and a zoological Local Services 76 Maggioni Tourist Marketing garden with more than 40 species of animals from all over the world – white swans, rare dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Straße 3 ducks, cranes, fallow deer and pheasants. Gastronomy 10407 Berlin Excursions Telephone +49 (0)30 440 44 398 General cASTELLI DI cANNERO Upper Lago Fax +49 (0)30 420 88 582 Information these ancient fortifications rise up out of the water between Cannobio and Cannero riviera. Meeting – Conference e-mail [email protected] they were built between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries and are divided up onto two Incoming agencies www.maggioni-tm.de Upper, Central, islands. in their time, they served as a place of refuge for the feared robber baron family of the Tourist guidance Lower Mazzarditi, before the Borromeo family put a stop to their games and usurped them of their Lago Maggiore possessions. imprint 87 SAcRI MONTI Ghiffa – Orta – Domodossola – Varese East Shore Castelli di Cannero Four places of pilgrimage in the overall region of Lago Maggiore, the so-called “Sacri Monti”, Isola Bella, Isola dei Pescatori and Varese have been declared world heritage sites by the unesco. each “Sacro Monte” consists of several chapels along the Way of the Cross; step by step they lead up the mountain into the natural The Swiss part landscape, as if by reaching the top the pilgrim has come as close as possible to God. of the Lake Santa cATERINA DEL SASSO East Shore and Varese the monastery of Santa Caterina del Sasso is indubitably one of the most beautiful and popu- lar sightseeing attractions on the Lombardian side of the lake. it lies between arolo and reno Ossola Valleys on a rocky promontory above Lago Maggiore and is accessible by ship and by car. the monas- Rocca di Angera tery itself can be viewed best from the water, but when you climb down the many steps from the car park above the monastery, you are rewarded with a breathtaking view onto the lake. Lake Orta ROccA DI ANGERA East Shore and Varese the Rocca of Angera was built on the remains of a previous castle and inhabited in the thir- Novara, teenth and fourteenth centuries by the Visconti; it was extended and then acquired by the Vineyards and Borromeo family, who still own it today. Fascinating art treasures can be seen inside the castle, Paddy Fields among them the frescoes of the Sala di Giustizia in the Visconti Wing. SAN GAuDENzIO DOME Novara, Vineyards and Paddy Fields Hotels novara’s most important church is the Basilica di San Gaudenzio built in 1659 with architec- ture by Pellegrino tibaldi. its dome is 397 feet high, the city’s landmark, heralding from afar the approach to the city. it is also a work of alessandro antonelli (completed in 1888) and crowned by a gilded figure of Christ. inside, one of its most interesting features is the Scurolo, a kind of Local Services San Gaudenzio Dome ground-level crypt, holding the mortal remains of novara’s patron saint, St. Gaudenzio. 2 www.illagomaggiore.com 3 General General Map Information Information t ravel information GETTING THERE Because of its favourable geographical position in the north of italy at the Swiss border, the region Motorway (Autobahn) information of Lago Maggiore is very easy to reach for travellers from the Britsh isles and nothern europe. (Germany) bis.bmvbs.de BY CAR/BUS Motorway (Autobahn) information From the Mont Blanc tunnel via the a5 – a4 and a26 motorways in italy, to Lago Maggiore (Switzerland) www.autobahnen.ch or Lake orta. From Basel via the St. Gotthard motorway to Locarno on the Swiss side of Lago Maggiore. Motorway (autostrada) information (Italy) SwITzERLAND then across the border at Piaggio Valmara and on via federal road 34 along the shore of Lago www.autostrade.it Maggiore. Motorway (autoroute) information From Basel via Bern direction a) Lötschberg tunnel or b) direction Vevey, Sion, Brig to the (France) Simplon Pass. From there to domodossola on federal road 33 to the ossola Valleys, Lago www.autoroutes.fr Maggiore or Lago d’orta. From Lindau (d) /Bregenz (a) via Chur/St. Bernardino motorway to Locarno (CH). From Locarno as described above. From Milan via a8 or a26 motorways to Sesto Calende for the east Shore of Lago Maggiore. SwITzERLAND BY TRAIN Train information (Germany) Via Paris with the tGV high speed train to Milan. From Milan to Lago Maggiore via rail route www.bahn.de Train information (Switzerland) Milan-domodossola. www.sbb.ch From Basel, rail route Basel-Milan via the Simplon tunnel to domodossola or Verbania or Stresa. Train information (France) www.sncf.fr BY PLANE Train information (Italy) the three Milan airports: Malpensa (MXP), Linate (LIN) and Bergamo (BGY) are flown to from www.trenitalia.it nearly all european airports, including low-cost airlines, also full-service airlines. Malpensa air- port is the most conveniently situated at only 20 km from the southern part of the lake. Further information and air traffic Italy www.sea-aeroportimilano.it/en MXP www.sacbo.it regular bus shuttle services connect the airport with Gallarate train station (railway route www.turin-airport.com Milan-domodossola) and with Milan Central Station (Stazione Centrale). the train shuttle service, the Malpensa Express, connects the airport with the Milan Cadorna and Centrale Further information station. the Swiss regional rail line S30 connects the airport with Bellinzona via Laveno www.malpensaexpress.it and Luino. the bus shuttle service Alibus connects the airport with the West side of Lago Shuttle-Service Alibus Maggiore, it runs several times daily; reservations required - by e-mail or telephone. Malpensa-Stresa-Verbania Telephone (+39) 0323 552172 e-mail [email protected] LIN/BGY www.safduemila.com/alibus-2016- a bus shuttle service connects the two airports with Milan Central Station (Stazione Centrale). malpensa.lagomaggiore.html trains for Lago Maggiore leave here at least every hour (e.g. to arona, Stresa, Verbania and Malpensa-Domodossola Telephone (+39) 03239 0324 240333 domodossola). on request, direct transfers can be arranged to Lago Maggiore. Please contact e-mail [email protected] the incoming agents listed here. www.comazzibus.com TRN Turin Airport is situated about 130 km from Lago Maggiore. it has flight connections solely General with the largest european airports. Information LOcAL SERVIcES LOcAL TRANSPORT Central Tourism Authority of Upper, Central, Various options of public transport are available in the region around Lago Maggiore: by ship the Region of Upper, Central Lower on Lago Maggiore and Lago d’orta; also train and bus. among the most impressive are jour- and Lower Lago Maggiore, Lago Maggiore neys on the Vigezzina railway or by ship.