Italian Lakes: Lago Maggiore

Throughout the month of April I was busy participating in the A to Z Challenge. Now I'm returning to my regular posts about my trip to Italy last summer. My last post at the end of March was about two resort towns on the Italian Riviera, Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure. From there we travelled north to Lake Maggiore– not as glamourous as nearby Lake Como where George Clooney owns a villa but lovely all the same.

Lake Maggiore, Italy

Our first stop on Lake Maggiore was the town of Stresa, nestled on the lakeshore beneath palm trees and the Swiss Alps. While we waited to board a boat to one of the Borromean islands, Isola Bella, we had time to stroll the lovely waterfront promenade.  I’ve never seen so many hydrangeas in bloom!

Waterfront Promenade, Stresa

La Vela, Gino Corsanini

I wanted to get a closer look at some of the large hotels across the street. These luxurious properties once provided accommodation to travellers on their Grand Tours of Europe. The Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees can count Ernest Hemingway and Winston Churchill among its guests. All of the gardens were in full bloom, as were the hotel balconies.

Regina Palace Hotel, Stresa

Grand Hotel des Iles Boromees, Stresa

A 10-minute boat ride took us to Isola Bella where we spent most of the afternoon touring the palace and gardens but I’ll save this visit for a separate post.

Isola Bella, Lake Maggiore

When we finished our tour of Isola Bella we returned to the mainland to the town of Baveno and the Grand Hotel Dino.

Grand Hotel Dino, Baveno

Hotel Lobby

View from our Hotel Room

Before dinner we took a walk and came upon a little café near the ferry dock. As I sat next to the water with my aperol spritz I wished I could spend more time relaxing on beautiful Lake Maggiore.

Waterside Cafe, Baveno

Aperol Spritz

Ferry Dock, Baveno

Next:  Isola Bella, the Beautiful Island

Related Post:

“A” is for Aperol