Self Guided Tours

This is one of my favorite tours. Leave in morning and head to Stresa, 26 miles. Take the highway. It is better to avoid weekends as this is popular destination. Stresa is a nice town with beautiful buildings facing the lake. I would reserve some time to tour Stresa at the end of the day. Get to the boat dock. You want to purchase a ticket to Isola Bella and Isola Pescatori/superiore. There are few options of other tours, but those 2 island should be more than enough. There are also different option of companies offering to take you to the island, for simplicity I will call it, the big boat and the smaller boats. The price is really not too different, but if you take the small boats you may need to wait a lot to go back to Stresa as they can carry only so many passengers and everybody leaves at the same time. If the day is not too busy, pick one service or the other. 

• Isola Bella has an amazing palace and stunning Italian-style baroque gardens. You have to buy the ticket to get in the palace if you want to see the gardens. Totally worth it

• Isola dei Pescatori/superiore has a huge number of restaurants and that is where you want to stop to eat. Italian restaurants are open from noon to 2ish, so plan your lunch and your visit to Isola bella.  This was one of the favorite places of Ernest Hemingway.

If you don't want to use the car, take the train to Laveno and you will go to the islands by boat. https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/

Varese is a smaller, but nice city 10 miles from the apartment. Park in the Corti mall parking lot. It is not free, but the location is good to visit the city center. Later, you will need to drive to go to Sacro Monte. Things to visit:

• The city historical center. Corso Matteotti. Lot of good shopping, gelato, charming buildings.

• I giardini Estensi. Built as a smaller copy of the gardens of Schönbrunn in Austria.

• Sacro Monte di Varese a UNESCO site. Stroll in the medieval streets, visit the church, you may even see a cluster num outside the convent. Have a sip of the locally made liquor at Borducan Restaurant

Ristorante Teatro is always a fine choice for lunch in Varese. If you are in Sacro Monte stop for a coffee at the terrace of Borducan. This restaurant is really very charming and it perfect for a romantic dinner or a one of a kind experience. 

In the morning drive to Angera (6 miles). Here you will visit the Rocca d’Angera (open 9;30am to 5:00pm from April) a castle from the 1100s perched on top of a hill with spectacular views of Lago Maggiore. Inside the castle there is museum of old artifact owned by the Borromeo family and an Itinerary show of modern artists. The visit will take a couple of hours if you don’t hurry. https://www.isoleborromee.it/en/rocca-di-angera/

After you are done visiting the castle take the car and park by the lake. There are many small restaurants where you can grab a bite or you can stroll by the lake. If you want a less casual lunch drive to Sole di Ranco or Ristorante Belvedere also in Ranco, which is a couple of miles away. 

In the afternoon drive (9 miles) to the Eremo of Santa Caterina, a beautiful hermitage carved in the rock. It is a magical place with stunning views of the lakes and the Alps. More info https://www.eremosantacaterina.it/en/useful-info

If you have it in you, I'd suggest to take the train that will take you from Varano to Milano without you driving in crazy Italian traffic. It take about 1 hour by train to go to Milano. You can get your ticket here http://www.trenitalia.com  or at the newspaper shop near the station in Varano. Our train station stop is called Ternate-Varano Borghi. The train line is called Milano-Luino.

You will also need some subway tickets that you purchase at the newspaper stand or automatic machine at the station in Milan.

• The Last Supper of Leonardo Davinci. You need to buy the tickets in advance at https:// www.vivaticket.it type in Cenacolo Vinciano. Tickets are about 10 euros.

• Il Duomo. Spectacular Italian gothic church. You need to buy a ticket outside the church.

• Galleria Vittorio Emanuele - Just across from the Duomo

• Teatro la Scala - Walk through the galleria and you will find yourself in front of la Scala

• Via Montenapoleone via La Spiga - The fashion streets of Milan. A lot of really expensive shopping. You can get to them walking from the Duomo, please purchase a map, it is easier

• Castello Sforzesco and Parco Sempione - A lovely walk though cafes. From the Duomo will take you to this majestic castle. There is a museum in it. At the end of the castle there is Parco Sempione, the city largest park. You may also want to visit the area of 

• Navigli. There are a lot of restaurants and bars, mostly and evening area, but it is also great for lunch.

In the morning drive to Laveno 10 miles or take the train. This is a small town on Lake Maggiore. Explore the town and when you are ready look  for the cable card station in the center of town. The cable cart will open at 11am. Be ready for a memorable 20 minute ride with the most breath taking views. At the end of the ride a restaurant and a bar will wait for you. There are also many people jumping off the mountain with a glider. If you are into this type of sport, this area is great! If the cable cart ride is too much, skip it and go directly to Villa Taranto. 

At Laveno's boat dock purchase a ticket to Villa Taranto. You can board your car or leave it in Laveno. I would suggest to leave it in Laveno as the drive to Varano will be much longer from the other side of the lake. 

Stroll in majestic botanic gardens of Villa Taranto among rare spices of flowers and beautiful lake views. When done, go back to Laveno and have dinner one of the many restaurants by the lake.

Orta San Giulio is 26 miles from the apartment and I suggest you to take the highway to get there faster. It can be a busy tourist destination, so if you can, visit it during the week. This is a very charming town closed to traffic. You will have to park in the large parking lot outside town. In Orta there are a few things to do:

• Stroll the enchanted town, eat and drink, look at the lake

• Visit the island of San Giulio just in front of town

• Visit the Sacro Monte (UNESCO site) on the hill next to town (you are walking there)

In the pictures I added Villa Crespi, a boutique hotel and a 2 star Michelin restaurant, owned by the Italian master chef Antonino Cannavacciuolo. The villa is moorish and just crazy looking. https://www.villacrespi.it/en/the-restaurant/ 

Arona is both a historic tourist town situated on the west bank of Lake Maggiore. Visitors have multiple options such as the Archaeological Museum, the Mineral Museum, churches and parks, including Lagoni di Mercurago Park and so much more.

The origins of the city can be traced back much further, but the historical period that began in 1439, and that continued until the seventeenth century, is the focus of this article. It was then that Arona was given in concession to the Borromeo family. 

Indeed, between the fourteenth and the fifteenth centuries, the family founded the Borromeo State in the territories of the lake, establishing one of its two branches in Arona. Vitaliano Borromeo became earl of the fortress, which in those years saw the consolidation of its structures, including the walls and a secret street.

It was precisely in the fortress that on October  2, 1538, the son of Gibert II and Margaret Medici di Marignano, Charles Borromeo, was born. At the age of seven he began his ecclesiastical career which led him to his appointment as Archbishop of Milan, the city where he later settled, and to the canonization in 1610 by Pope Paul V.

In honor of this event, the Sacro Monte di Arona or Monte San Carlo, the Church of San Carlo and the majestic statue were all built.

Dominating the hill and visible from the banks of the lake is the statue dedicated to Charles Borromeo, the so-called Sancarlone. The colossal statue, perched at an altitude of 310 meters, is 23,40 meters high and stands on an 11-meter pedestal. The saint stands upright dressed in ecclesiastical garments and holding a volume with his left arm while, with the right one (consisting of a complex metal structure, conceived to resist the strong winds) is stretched towards the city to bless it.

The Statue was completed in 1698, designed by Giovan Battista Crespi called “il Cerano” and built by the sculptors Siro Zanella and Bernardo Falconi, who made all the copper parts that could be assembled, increasing their dimensions. The statue which is held up by a supporting core in stone, brick, and iron, is made of hammered copper slabs fixed on the support structure and joined together with nails and tie rods. Inside, it is hollow.

You will not really realize its size until you reach the pedestal after you have walked along the path leading to the base. Climb up the iron spiral staircase that leads to Saint Charles’ feet and here you will find the door to enter inside the statue. Go into the folds of the saint’s dress and don’t let yourself be intimidated by what awaits you.

After a few ramps, the spiral staircase becomes a classic, but very steep, ladder that develops in a very narrow vertical space. The climb is not easy, but trust me, the emotion of reaching the top, which holds up to six people, is worth it. The surrounding panorama of the lake, seen through the circular holes of the eyes, nostrils and ears of the saint (or even through some openings in his back) is truly a one-of-a-kind experience.

An interesting fact is that at the foot of the Statue of Liberty there is a plaque that pays homage to Sancarlone stating that Lady Liberty was built following the model of Arona’s famous statue. Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi had stayed in Arona prior to designing her. 

For more information please visit the official website.

Copyright photos: statuasancarlo.it (first photo); Sara F. Zanini

If you are here in summer, enjoy our local lake of Monate about 2 miles from the apartment. This is the only lake where swimming is allowed, but no motor boats. Rent a pedal boat and have fun on the beach. There is a fee for every beach on the lake, but it comes with an umbrella and a chaise longue. Some beaches are:

• Il Larice Club

• La Playa

• Il Coppale

I really enjoy thermal baths, so I am going to put this one as part of my itineraries. This place is a 2 hour drive, but when you arrive at the thermal bath is a day of complete relaxation. There are other thermal baths that may be closer, but Lazise is a one of a kind experience as the thermal water fills the entire lake. The thermal park is part of a villa that is now a hotel and restaurant. You can buy tickets just to the park and if you want some treatments you will have to book them in advance at the villa. https://www.villadeicedri.it/eng/parco-termale.php. 

If you want to cross the border, Lake Lugano is magnificent and just 1 hour-away-adventure from Varano Borghi. Here is Rick Stevens info on Lugano https://podcasts.ricksteves.com/pdfs/books/rick-steves-lugano.pdf

Easy (or not so easy) Day Bike Ride

You can rent your bike at Residence Montelago near Ternate park (1/4 mile from the apartment). Once on a bike you can go around the lake. It is about 12 km (7 miles) and it is mostly a very easy ride. I am going to mention a restaurant I like so if you are hungry you know where to stop: Lago dei Cigni in Corgeno (closed on Monday). For lunch they have a set menu for about 15 euro. Nice find. 

Make sure you don't miss the Park in Ternate, you can play bocce there, and there is of course a coffee bar to have an aperitivo or a gelato. 

If you want more riding, Lake Comabbio connects with a bike path to the bigger Varese's Lake. The Varese Lake ride is 29 Km (18 miles).

Hiking

There are many places in the area to go hiking. Varano Borghi is at the fringe at the Parco Naturale del Ticino and there are many hiking trails. I am giving you 3 ideas, which are all easy hikes good for families.

1. The woods of Varano Borghi. If you park at Pizzeria da Gino, you can start walking in the woods. The main trail will take you to Cuirone, a very little village where you can see a fountain where women used to go washing clothes, a little very old little church, the communal town oven where people made bread and a lot of charm. Back and forth is about a 4 mile walk. The woods are filled with chestnut trees and in fall many people pick up chestnuts. Mountain biking is also popular in the woods. 

2. Sesto Calende to Pavia. You will have to drive to Sesto Calende and park anywhere or the free parking lot under the bridge. Sesto Calende is a cute town on the Ticino river, but very few people know that the riverwalk is an actual hiking/biking trail that reaches Pavia. It is 90 km (56 miles) one way. I usually only walk a few miles and turn back. There are very beautiful views of the Alps early in the walk and the river. 

3. Forte di Orino. The remains of this old fort are now a stunning view point for the entire area. You can see Lake Varese, Lake Comabbio, Lake Maggiore, the Alps,  and even Milano in beautiful days.  There are few ways to get to Forte di Orino, some are more challenging than others. I am going to give you the “easy” way. You can drive till the restaurant/bar Irma and from there you can walk probably a couple of miles to the view point. The difficult part is the drive because the street is small and there are many bends, but from here the hike is very easy. 

Paragliding 

If you are here is summer the skies are filled with many people exploring the area from above. If you are interested in this activity, please google the many companies that provide this service.