Walking holidays in Europe Walking holiday at Lake Maggiore www.expressionsholidays.co.uk 01392 441250 WALKING HOLIDAYS IN EUROPE Walking holiday at Lake Maggiore 7 NIGHTS / 8 DAYS HIGHLIGHTS • 4 self-guided walking itineraries • Cannero Riviera • Locarno • Monte Cardada • Ascona • Laveno and Monte Sasso del Ferro • Stresa • Borromean Islands Isola Bella, Lake Maggiore This seven-night self-guided walking holiday invites you to explore the area around Lake Maggiore in northern Italy and Switzerland. Placed to the south of the Alps and to the north of the Po Valley, the Italian Lakes naturally possess a charming mixture of the vibrant coolness associated with the Alps but enlivened by the warmth of the South. This walking holiday takes you on a journey of discovery through a landscape of beautiful blue waters surrounded by picturesque fi shing villages and wooded hillsides. Each walking route takes you to a different area of the lake offering waterfront promenades, grand villas, majestic mountains and historic towns with cobbled streets. Rest days are spent at leisure, exploring the highlights of Lake Maggiore at a relaxed pace and a visit to the iconic Borromean Islands is a must. Return to your charming hotel each afternoon to relax by the pool or in the tranquil courtyard before enjoying a delicious dinner. This holiday is suitable for travel from May to October with the summer months being preferable for better weather and regular public transport options around the lake. HOTEL INCLUDED WHAT’S INCLUDED THE JOURNEY AND HOW YOU GET Hotel Cannero, Cannero Riviera 4 star • Scheduled fl ights with British Airways from THERE London to Milan return, economy There are fl ights with British Airways from PRICES • 7 nights’ on half board in a double room London Heathrow to Milan Malpensa several From £1,745 per person including air and with lake view at the Hotel Cannero, Cannero times a day. From here it is a 75-minute hire-car Riviera on Lake Maggiore journey by car to the hotel. Flights are also • Group B hire car for the duration of your possible into Milan Linate airport. From £2,165 per person including rail from holiday, and parking UK to Milan by sleeper and back and hire- • Route notes for self-guided walking Rail from UK car itineraries in Lake Maggiore It is possible to travel by train from London to • Concierge service and Expressions Holidays Lake Maggiore and back. Sample prices are per person based on two regional helpful hints people sharing a double or twin room for 7 DATES nights. Although this holiday can be arranged throughout the year, we recommend travelling HOLIDAY CODE between June and early October for the best FHIT25 trekking conditions. Telephone number 01392 441250 Email [email protected] 2 DAY-BY-DAY-IN-DEPTH DAY ONE Arrive at Lake Maggiore You start the holiday by fl ying from London to Milan, then you collect your hire car from the airport and drive for about 75 minutes to reach your hotel in Cannero Riviera. If travelling by rail you will depart London the previous day and take the Eurostar to Paris. The sleeper train departs Paris at 7.15pm and arrives into Milan early the next morning. You change onto a local train to Stresa arriving around 9.30am. Alternatively, day-time trains take you from Paris to Lausanne on the beautiful Lake Geneva to arrive around 6pm. Stay overnight here and then travel by rail via the Simplon Pass and reach Stresa around 4.30pm. Collect your hire car and drive to Cannero Riviera where you spend the rest of the day exploring the hotel and its vicinity. DAY TWO Lakeside walk from Brissago to Ascona Your fi rst self-guided walking day is a low- level route exploring the northern shores of the Swiss side of Lake Maggiore. The route Villa Taranto, Lake Maggiore is about 9 kilometres in total and is a good introduction to Lake Maggiore. Start the its way uphill through the town to reach a of the lake and the town of Laveno. This is a day by taking a ferry from Cannero Riviera beautiful wooded path leading to Trarego. You pleasant lakeside town with a pretty centre heading north up the lake. Your fi rst route emerge out of the trees and take a break to of cobblestone streets and a picturesque starts in the lakeside town of Brissago explore this typical Italian village. We highly marina. Use the town’s funicular to access the perched between the lakeshore and steep recommend walking up to the townhall and upper slopes of Monte Sasso del Ferro where mountains. Take some time to look around churchyard for incredible views of Lake today’s walk starts. The upper cable station the oldest part of the village, admiring the Maggiore with Cannero below. From Trarego gives fantastic views of the Varese lakes and beautiful Renaissance church of St Peter and you now pick up a path which weaves its way Lake Maggiore far below. The 13.5-kilometre Paul before heading off along the lakefront. southwards heading back downhill through route takes you from the summer of Sasso The fi rst two kilometres of the route take you the trees. You cross a couple of streams and del Ferro through the hamlets of Casere and along the walkway alongside the waterfront reach the Rio Cannero. The path crosses this Vararo. Have a look at the Church of San road to the small beach at Porto Ronco. and leads you to the small hamlet of Oggiogno Bernardo and maybe have a drink in one From here the path rises up through the where you will fi nd a bar and small church. of the local bars before continuing uphill to woods and leads you to the lakeside town of Another two kilometres of steady downhill Monte Crocetta and Monte la Oecia, enjoying Ronco Sopra Ascona, with stunning views brings you back into Cannero Riviera and to the incredible views of the surroundings. You across the lake and Brissago Islands below. your hotel on the lakefront promenade. now double back eastwards, following a path Continuing northwards along the shore you to the Pizzoni di Laveno where the landscape pass through the charming hamlets of Livurcio DAY FOUR At leisure opens up with Verbania and Pallanza clearly and Gruppaldo which marks the highest point We include two rest days within this walking visible on the other side of the water. The of the walk. The next two kilometres take holiday, although of course you can choose path leads you through the woods and back you gently downhill to arrive on the lakefront to swap the days around as you please. We to Casere. It is possible to go back up the hill which you follow to Ascona. We recommend suggest using the fi rst of these days to visit and return to the funicular station, however we stopping here for lunch and looking around the beautiful Borromean Islands, the iconic recommend walking back down the path to the old town where you will fi nd the waterfront symbol of Lake Maggiore. Perhaps use today Laveno harbour. cathedral, Roman arches and Renaissance to visit the sisters of Isola Madre and Isola palaces. Catch the ferry back to Cannero Bella, known for their splendid palazzos and DAY SIX At leisure Riviera for the rest of the day, relaxing before a gardens which attract visitors from across the There are plenty of options to fi ll your second longer day walking. world. On Isola Bella guests will fi nd terraced rest day on Lake Maggiore. Enjoy a relaxed gardens full of fl owers and exotic plants breakfast at your hotel and then you might like DAY THREE Local walk from Cannero as well as the stunning Palazzo Borromeo, to head back out onto the water to visit the Riviera complemented perfectly by the English Isola dei Pescatori, which is the only island The second walking itinerary of this holiday Gardens of Isola Madre where peacocks and that is inhabited all-year-around. The island’s stays locally around Cannero Riviera and the parrots roam freely. Both islands are reached ancient village has a long history as a fi shing beautiful natural scenery found inland. The easily by boat from Cannero Riviera. settlement and is a wonderful place to try route today is about 8 kilometres and involves delicious, freshly caught fi sh in the charming a substantial climb which is rewarded with DAY FIVE Circular walk from Laveno to restaurants. Explore the narrow lanes which beautiful views. The route starts by weaving Monte Sasso del Ferro conceal little boutiques and the beautiful Your third walk takes you to the eastern shore Church of San Vittore with its 16th century Telephone number 01392 441250 Email [email protected] 3 fresco and wooden fi gures of the fi shermen’s patron saints, Peter and Andrew. After lunch, take the ferry to the nearby town of Stresa and walk along the waterfront promenade which is lined with belle-époque buildings – a legacy of the 19th century tourism boom in this area. The Stresa-Mottarone cable car gives beautiful views across the lake as well as the opportunity to visit the Botanical Gardens which feature species from across the world. DAY SEVEN Locarno to Mergoscia via Monte Cardada Your last full day of this walking holiday is spent high above the lakes in Switzerland. Start the day with a boat ride from Cannero to Locarno where you switch onto the funicular up the hill to the Sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso.