Dominique’s Guidebook
Food Scene
It's not difficult to eat well in this region. It may not be the 'food capital' that is Emilia Romagna but the regional food and wine is excellent. Here are just a few suggestions to start you off...
Good food, lovely atmosphere and a view to die for! You must book!
It's just up the road so within walking distance.
62 personas locales recomiendan
La Rampolina
13 Via SomeraroGood food, lovely atmosphere and a view to die for! You must book!
It's just up the road so within walking distance.
A nice little restaurant with an unusual menu. Not the cheapest of eateries but nice.
12 personas locales recomiendan
Trattoria Due Piccioni
61 Via Principe TomasoA nice little restaurant with an unusual menu. Not the cheapest of eateries but nice.
A two-star Michelain restaurant set in a magnificent Villa on the south of Lake Orta. A very special place serving excellent food with professional staff and attention to detail. It is expensive but...
27 personas locales recomiendan
Villa Crespi
18 Via Giuseppe FavaA two-star Michelain restaurant set in a magnificent Villa on the south of Lake Orta. A very special place serving excellent food with professional staff and attention to detail. It is expensive but...
This is a Michelin stared restaurant in a beautiful setting. The food is truly excellent
15 personas locales recomiendan
Piccolo Lago Restaurant
87 Via Filippo TuratiThis is a Michelin stared restaurant in a beautiful setting. The food is truly excellent
Nice laid back restaurant with good food on Isola Bella. A little expensive but worth it. Eat on the vine-covered terrace overlooking the lake for a relaxing lunch
7 personas locales recomiendan
Ristorante Elvezia
18 Via Lungo Lago Vittorio EmanueleNice laid back restaurant with good food on Isola Bella. A little expensive but worth it. Eat on the vine-covered terrace overlooking the lake for a relaxing lunch
A quirky restaurant set in an old house offering good food and professional service.
Choose from a set menu or à la carte. Varied choices, beautifully presented
Sottosopra
40 Corso Giuseppe GaribaldiA quirky restaurant set in an old house offering good food and professional service.
Choose from a set menu or à la carte. Varied choices, beautifully presented
Not a restaurant but a ' piccola gastronomia' and a great place to buy ready-prepared, local food, typical of the Piemonte region. You can also sit and enjoy an 'aperitivo' along with a charcuterie board.
Super helpful staff, passionate about food.
COMMESTIBILI Vini e Affini
Not a restaurant but a ' piccola gastronomia' and a great place to buy ready-prepared, local food, typical of the Piemonte region. You can also sit and enjoy an 'aperitivo' along with a charcuterie board.
Super helpful staff, passionate about food.
This restaurant is not your 'run-of-the-mill' pizzeria. They use top-quality ingredients and offer an unusual selection of pizzas. You are advised to book well in advance!
19 personas locales recomiendan
Fiore di Latte Pizzeria
5 Via G. VerdiThis restaurant is not your 'run-of-the-mill' pizzeria. They use top-quality ingredients and offer an unusual selection of pizzas. You are advised to book well in advance!
Essentials
This family owned supermarket sells high quality fresh produce and ready prepared foods. Its a good port of call on your way from the autostrada (A26 Baveno exit) to Loita.
12 personas locales recomiendan
Savoini S.R.L.
Viale RomaThis family owned supermarket sells high quality fresh produce and ready prepared foods. Its a good port of call on your way from the autostrada (A26 Baveno exit) to Loita.
There is a small Conad supermarket here which sells good quality fresh meat and fish. It also has a nice cheese section, fruit and vegetables and own brand goods.
A biggish pet shop is also within the centre and a coin operated laundry with dryers.
Not the best of centres but great for essentials.
Lago Maggiore Center
87 Strada Nazionale del SempioneThere is a small Conad supermarket here which sells good quality fresh meat and fish. It also has a nice cheese section, fruit and vegetables and own brand goods.
A biggish pet shop is also within the centre and a coin operated laundry with dryers.
Not the best of centres but great for essentials.
Great to stock up, excellent prices. Mostly own brand goods. Fresh produce is mainly sourced from the region.
ALDI
16 Viale SerfontanaGreat to stock up, excellent prices. Mostly own brand goods. Fresh produce is mainly sourced from the region.
If you’re walking this is the closest convenience store. It’s in the heart of Baveno
Carrefour Express
9 Piazza Giacomo MatteottiIf you’re walking this is the closest convenience store. It’s in the heart of Baveno
Shopping
A shopping centre with a large Coop supermarket offering a vast assortment of goods. There are other generic shops here too. It's about 10k up the road with lots of parking.
43 personas locales recomiendan
Centro Commerciale Le Isole
42-44 Corso Guglielmo MarconiA shopping centre with a large Coop supermarket offering a vast assortment of goods. There are other generic shops here too. It's about 10k up the road with lots of parking.
There are some very nice shops here and a nice market on Tuesdays.
Just up the road there is the Statua di San Carlo, a huge statue complete with viewing gallery. Nice views from here.
192 personas locales recomiendan
Arona
There are some very nice shops here and a nice market on Tuesdays.
Just up the road there is the Statua di San Carlo, a huge statue complete with viewing gallery. Nice views from here.
Every Monday morning there is a street market with fresh produce as well as the usual stalls.
Baveno Market
Piazza Giacomo MatteottiEvery Monday morning there is a street market with fresh produce as well as the usual stalls.
Intra is a biggish town with a ferry connection to the west side of the lake.
Nice shops and a large market held on Saturdays.
57 personas locales recomiendan
Intra
Intra is a biggish town with a ferry connection to the west side of the lake.
Nice shops and a large market held on Saturdays.
This centre can get very busy during the high season. Not ideal with young children but it does have a play area.
127 personas locales recomiendan
Vicolungo The Style Outlets
1 Piazza Santa CaterinaThis centre can get very busy during the high season. Not ideal with young children but it does have a play area.
Sightseeing
Just a lovely little town to visit. It has a micro-climate, which is reflected in the vegetation. Famed for its citrus fruits and Mediterranean flowers it makes for a nice excursion. There are very nice walking trails in the area too.
43 personas locales recomiendan
Cannero Riviera
Just a lovely little town to visit. It has a micro-climate, which is reflected in the vegetation. Famed for its citrus fruits and Mediterranean flowers it makes for a nice excursion. There are very nice walking trails in the area too.
The islands are well worth a visit but give yourself plenty of time as the boat across is quiet costly and if you want to visit the palaces entrance is expensive. Isola Superiore (Pescatori) doesn't have a palace or villa but is just quaint, albeit a touch touristy!
311 personas locales recomiendan
Borromean Islands
The islands are well worth a visit but give yourself plenty of time as the boat across is quiet costly and if you want to visit the palaces entrance is expensive. Isola Superiore (Pescatori) doesn't have a palace or villa but is just quaint, albeit a touch touristy!
A nice drive to get here and interesting visit. It is a peninsula jutting out into the lake, scattered with little chapels each one different to the other. Its position gives you a splendid view over the lake towards the little island of San Giulio.
There is something quiet magical about this little known lake. Omegna is the largest town on Orta and has a market on Thursdays.
17 personas locales recomiendan
Special Reserve of Sacro Monte di Orta
Via al Sacro MonteA nice drive to get here and interesting visit. It is a peninsula jutting out into the lake, scattered with little chapels each one different to the other. Its position gives you a splendid view over the lake towards the little island of San Giulio.
There is something quiet magical about this little known lake. Omegna is the largest town on Orta and has a market on Thursdays.
Lago Maggiore Express
1 Via Francesco BaraccaSanta Caterina del Sasso
13 Via Santa CaterinaStresa
Arts & Culture
Worth a visit to see the beautiful grounds with its white peacocks and terraced gardens. You need a good half a day here.
167 personas locales recomiendan
Isola Bella station
Worth a visit to see the beautiful grounds with its white peacocks and terraced gardens. You need a good half a day here.
This castle stands on a hilltop in the town of Angera, Province of Varese. You can see it from Arona across the lake where another castle formerly stood. It was owned by the Della Torre family before going to the Viscontis and is now owned by the Borromeo family.
113 personas locales recomiendan
Rocca Di Angera
This castle stands on a hilltop in the town of Angera, Province of Varese. You can see it from Arona across the lake where another castle formerly stood. It was owned by the Della Torre family before going to the Viscontis and is now owned by the Borromeo family.
Far less popular than its big sister Isola Bella but beautiful all the same. Less formal with gardens to walk around and a small palazzo to visit.
71 personas locales recomiendan
Isola Madre
Far less popular than its big sister Isola Bella but beautiful all the same. Less formal with gardens to walk around and a small palazzo to visit.
MADONNA DEL SASSO
Parks & Nature
Absolutely beautiful area. You drive to Devero where you have to park, no cars are allowed beyond this point. It is well signposted with different walks towards the Lago di Devero. It's 'gentle' hiking so accessible for most but you will cover a good few kilometres. Crampiolo is a hamlet well known for its Bettelmatt cheese and has a agriturismo where you can eat and farm shop to buy local produce.
It takes about an hour to drive there, almost all on the superstrada towards the Simplon.
Pet friendly.
49 personas locales recomiendan
Alpe Devero
Absolutely beautiful area. You drive to Devero where you have to park, no cars are allowed beyond this point. It is well signposted with different walks towards the Lago di Devero. It's 'gentle' hiking so accessible for most but you will cover a good few kilometres. Crampiolo is a hamlet well known for its Bettelmatt cheese and has a agriturismo where you can eat and farm shop to buy local produce.
It takes about an hour to drive there, almost all on the superstrada towards the Simplon.
Pet friendly.
From the summit you can see the seven lakes on a clear day. There is plenty of hiking and walks. The pistes provide skiing in winter and summer offers mountain e-bike hire with itineraries
267 personas locales recomiendan
Mottarone
From the summit you can see the seven lakes on a clear day. There is plenty of hiking and walks. The pistes provide skiing in winter and summer offers mountain e-bike hire with itineraries
Cableway Stresa Mottarone
8 Piazzale LidoWell worth a visit. Beautiful botanic gardens surround the Villa and a pretty lakeside town to sit and watch the world go by. The gardens were created in 1931-1940 by Capt.Neil Boyd McEacharn, a Scotsman who later gifted them to the people of the area.
284 personas locales recomiendan
Villa Taranto Botanical Gardens
111 Via Vittorio VenetoWell worth a visit. Beautiful botanic gardens surround the Villa and a pretty lakeside town to sit and watch the world go by. The gardens were created in 1931-1940 by Capt.Neil Boyd McEacharn, a Scotsman who later gifted them to the people of the area.
Venture up to the Val Formazza and you will be rewarded by this magnificent waterfall, which drops 143 meters.
there are plenty of walks nearby with beautiful views.
74 personas locales recomiendan
Cascada del Toce
Località FruaVenture up to the Val Formazza and you will be rewarded by this magnificent waterfall, which drops 143 meters.
there are plenty of walks nearby with beautiful views.
Lake Agaro is at the top of the Antigorio Valley, just outside the Alpe Devero Natural Park. It can be reached via Baceno and Goglio, up the road towards Alpe Devero to the turnoff for Agaro.
Lago di Agaro
Lake Agaro is at the top of the Antigorio Valley, just outside the Alpe Devero Natural Park. It can be reached via Baceno and Goglio, up the road towards Alpe Devero to the turnoff for Agaro.
The Val Grande, as well as a beautiful reserve, is home to many small towns worth visiting. They are situated in 4 distint vallies: Valle Intrasca, Val Cannobina, Valle Ossola and the Val Vigezzo, in the borough of Verbano and Valli Ossolane.
My perticular favorits are Santa Maria Maggiore and the medievel town of Vogogna.
Val Grande
The Val Grande, as well as a beautiful reserve, is home to many small towns worth visiting. They are situated in 4 distint vallies: Valle Intrasca, Val Cannobina, Valle Ossola and the Val Vigezzo, in the borough of Verbano and Valli Ossolane.
My perticular favorits are Santa Maria Maggiore and the medievel town of Vogogna.
Parco Pallavicino is located on the lakeside at the southern end of Stresa. In the English style gardens, it has numerous tree species and an animal sanctuary. Children will enjoy visiting the grounds, which also has a play area. A lovely family outing.
85 personas locales recomiendan
Parque Pallavicino
8 Via Sempione SudParco Pallavicino is located on the lakeside at the southern end of Stresa. In the English style gardens, it has numerous tree species and an animal sanctuary. Children will enjoy visiting the grounds, which also has a play area. A lovely family outing.
This little lake is a gem. Crystal clear water (no power boats are permitted) surrounded by nature.
Mergozzo Beach
This little lake is a gem. Crystal clear water (no power boats are permitted) surrounded by nature.
Getting Around
Avis Autonoleggio
35 Via Sempione Nord
Baveno station
28 Via StazioneBoat Service Feriolo
66 Via PiaveBoat rental
Cantiere Nautico Semprinia Srl
Well priced boat rental
Piazzale Flaim Mario
Piazzale Flaim MarioA car ferry service to Laveno on the other side of the lake.
Stazione Stresa
2 Via Principe di PiemonteARTELAGO
E-bike rental on our doorstep