| Lake Maggiore Towns | ||
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Stresa is an ideal base for exploring Lake Maggiore and below are some suggestions for other lakeside towns you can visit by ferry or road from Stresa.
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Baveno Baveno is a small lakeside town and just a couple of miles from Stresa. The town has a pleasant promenade and plenty of bars where you can sit out by the lake and enjoy a drink or an ice-cream. The town itself is a maze of narrow cobbled streets and the highlight is the little 16th century square with a wonderful Stations of the Cross, the Church of Saints Gervasio and Protasio and a small octagonal baptistery.
The Church is Romanesque although the only parts that remain of the original church are the bell tower, the portal and part of the side wall. Later additions are the 13th century frescoes, the 17th century apse and the extension of the side chapels and the sacristy in the 18th century. In the Chapel of the Crucifixion there are paintings by Defendente Ferrari. The bell tower dates to between 1050 and 1075 and is six stories high. The 12th century baptistery looks square from the outside but is in fact octagonal inside - right up to the dome which is beautifully decorated. The frescoes date to the 16th century and the portico dates to 1628.
Arriving in Baveno by boat you cannot help but notice the English Gothic style Villa Branca. This is owned by the Branca family from Milan who bought it in 1898. Maria Scala Branca created the recipe for Fernet Branca in 1845. Fernet Branca is a very well-known bitter digestive drink served after meals. In 2007 there was a massive fire in the villa and the scaffolding you can see now is for the restoration works.
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Practical Info Baveno can be reached by ferry from Stresa - the journey takes 20 minutes. Alternatively it is just 10 minutes in the car. There is car parking by the ferry station. Visit the Baveno Tourist Office website www.bavenoturismo.it
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Pallanza Pallanza and Intra form the town Verbania which is capital of the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola province. Pallanza is a pretty lakeside town with a promenade running all the way to neighbouring Suna. Along the lakefront are several bars and restaurants, as well as the elegant porticoed town hall. Via Ruga leads up and away from the lake and is where you will find the small shopping area.
The San Leonardo Parish Church is in the town centre. It was built between 1535 and 1590 and contains some notable wood carvings.
Pallanza is also home to the wonderful Villa Taranto Gardens which a just a quick hop on the ferry or a pleasant 15 minute walk. The San Remigio Gardens are lesser known but can be visited by contacting the tourist office to book a guided tour.
Just off the shores of Pallanza is San Giovanni Island. The island is private property and the Italian musician and conductor Arturo Toscanini once lived there. Toscanini was resident conductor at La Scala from 1898 to 1908 and during the 1920's.
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Practical Info Pallanza can be reached by ferry from Stresa - the journey takes 40 minutes. Alternatively it is about 25 minutes in the car. There is car parking by the ferry station and along the lakefront. For more tourist information about Pallanza visit http://www.verbania-turismo.it |
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Cannobio Cannobio is the last town in Italy before the border with Switzerland and has retained its medieval charm. The town is a maze of narrow cobbled lanes and tall houses. It was designed in this way to defend against possible invasions from Switzerland. The narrow lanes lead you between the traditional stone buildings to the lakefront where you will find the old fishermen's houses and fine 18th and 19th century porticoed "palazzi" which are now home to shops and bars. Further along the lakefront is Cannbio Lido which is a large area for sunbathing and swimming in the summer. The entire lakefront and Lido are used every Sunday for the large market which draws visitors from far and wide.
On the lakeside promenade is the SS. Pietà Church which was built under instruction of San Carlo Borromeo in 1578 on the site of a former church. It stands near the site of a miracle which happened at an "osteria" (small family restaurant) between 8th January and 27th February 1522. A painting of the Crucifixion in the osteria began to cry and bleed and a human rib bone appeared from the chest of Christ. The painting is now kept in a niche near the church's altar. The rib bone is kept in a reliquary in San Vittore Church and in a candlelight parade every year on the 8th January, is carried to the SS. Pietà Church.
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Practical Info Cannobio can be reached by ferry from Stresa, but there are not many ferries going that far up the lake in a day so plan your journey in advance (see our Travel and Transport section for timetables). The journey takes 2 hours. Alternatively it is a pleasant 45-60 minutes drive along the main lake road. Visit http://www.illagomaggiore.com for more information |
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Ascona Despite being a popular tourist resort and a centre for culture, Ascona has kept the characteristics of a small fishing village. The town centre is largely pedestrianised and the lakefront is a wonderful place to take a stroll and browse in the shops.
The SS. Pietro and Paolo Parish Church contains an altar piece by Ascona-born artist, Giovanni Serodine. The family's house is next to the church and the facade is decorated with frescoes and stuccoes dating to 1620.
Nowadays, Ascona is famous for the annual Ascona Jazz festival. This 10 day New Orleans jazz festival attracts acts and visitors from all over the world. The centre of Ascona is closed to traffic and the numerous stages along the lakefront and in the town's cobbled streets make for a real party atmosphere. In 2008, for the second year running, the party moves to Stresa which host the closing night of the festival on Sunday 6th July.
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Practical Info Ascona is nearly 3 hours on the ferry from Stresa so it is best reached by car which takes about 60-75 minutes along the main lake road from Stresa. Alternatively you can stop in Ascona instead of Locarno whilst on the Lake Maggiore Express excursion. For more information about Ascona visit http://www.maggiore.ch For more information about Ascona Jazz visit http://www.jazzascona.com |
