We are less than 10 weeks from our trip to Northern Italy, which will include a Home Exchange in the foothills near Lake Maggiore, as well as time in Courmayeur in the Italian Alps. We fell in love with Northern Italy during a brief visit over 10 years ago. While on vacation in Switzerland we decided to escape some of the rainy, cloudy weather and spend two days in Lugano, Switzerland. Jim found a beautiful park, Parc San Grato and confirmed that the forecast for the area was sunny. I’m so glad we went on this last-minute adventure and if you are ever in the area, I highly recommend visiting Parc San Grato. I share some of the pictures from the park below:
Travel Details
Travel to Europe from the States is popular once again making our peak season flight quite expensive. Our last trip to Europe was 10 years ago in the off season, so that flight to Zurich was half the cost of this year’s flight. To find less expensive flights, use https://wwwgoogle.com/travel/flights for the best deals and the site also lets you track price fluctuations. In addition, consider traveling off-season, which will help you save and avoid the busiest time of the year.
Europeans are staying closer to home this summer, so many of the popular destinations will be busy. Our Home Exchange host, Anne mentioned that most Italians vacation in August, so we will be in Courmayeur before things get really busy at the lake. Luckily we enjoy exploring remote locations and small towns off the beaten path so hopefully we’ll miss most of the crowds this year.
There is plenty of public transportation in Italy, including trains and buses. If you decide to utilize public transportation, please remember to be patient, as delays can occur. We plan to explore the countryside, so we decided to rent a car for this trip. Please note that the vast majority of rental cars are manual transmissions, and the roads can be tight and hilly, so make sure you are comfortable driving a stick shift before deciding to rent a car.
Home Exchange to Baveno, Italy
We are flying into Milan Malpensa Airport, then driving north about 40 miles to our two-week Home Exchange in Baveno, Italy. The home overlooks the Gulf of Borromeo on Lake Maggiore in the Italian Alps. We hope to explore some of the trails leading up to Mount Camoscio right from the backdoor of our exchange. The lakeside, cafes, and ferries are a short walk down the mountain to the small Roman town of Baveno. Historically, we’ll be in good company as Queen Victoria, Winston Churchill, and Hemmingway stayed in Baveno’s local palaces and hotels. Hemmingway stayed in Hotel Iles Borromees, which is described in his book, “A Farewell to Arms.”
Baveno is a picturesque town on the shores of Lake Maggiore north of Stresa. It faces the romantic Borromean Islands and backs to the emerald, green hills surrounding the lake. The town of about 5,000 residents has a long history, starting with prehistoric human existence. The Romans left evidence in the way of necropolis tombs, domestic wares, and coins. The area also is noted for its rose granite quarries, prized during the Renaissance. The Museum Graum in Palazzo Pretorio offers a multimedia geological museum dedicated to the area’s rose granite and its mining history. There are many monuments to see in town and in the outlying hamlets, which includes several villages: Feriolo, Romanico, Oltrefiume, Roncaro, and Loita. Each village offering their own beauty and customs, as well as footpaths which connect them and offer great views.
Be sure to visit the town center, Complesso Monumentale for stunning architecture and to mingle with the locals. The Romanesque Church of Prepositurale dating to 1133 can be reached via a staircase and features many beautiful frescoes. The church is dedicated to Saints San Gervasio and San Protaso, both Roman martyrs. Stop by the octagonal Baptistry, which dates to the 5th century and be sure to go inside to view the 16th century frescoes honoring the life of St. John the Baptist.You’ll want to explore the villas and gardens located in Baveno, including Villa Fedora and Villa Mussi. I’m sure we’ll spend time strolling the beautiful walkways that skirt the water and look out onto the islands and mountains beyond.
To learn more about Home Exchanges, visit my post below:
Local Treats
We plan to enjoy the local treats, including the lake’s fried alborelle fish, chestnuts, mushrooms, and alpine-grazed cheeses. The region of Piedmont, Italy is known for its Barolo and Barbaresco, which are famous for their Nebbiolo-based wines. Surprisingly, these wines only account for 3% of Piedmont’s production, so there’s quite a bit more wine to discover. Visit the website below to learn more:
https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/piedmont-win-guide/
Stresa
Stresa sits on Lake Maggiore and overlooks the Borromean Islands. There is an abundance of flora and fauna, from olive groves to lemon trees and bay hedges, along with camelia, azelia, and magnolia blooms. The town dates back to Roman times but was first mentioned in the historic annals in the 900s. It prospered in the 1800s with two noble families, the Borromeo and Visconti families who called it home. Famous travelers have stayed in the Ducal Palace, including Rockefeller, Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin, and George Bernard Shaw.
The picturesque streets are lined up along the lake with nice shops and boutiques, as well as cafes and restaurants. Stroll the waterfront promenade for excellent views of the surrounding mountains and islands. There is a cable car that travels 3 miles to the top of Mount Mottarone. At the top you’ll find crisp mountain air, flora and fauna, as well as hiking trails.
Borromean Islands
The Borromean Islands are a group of islands in Lake Maggiore just off the shore from Stresa. Three of the islands can be explored, and they are popular with visitors because of the beautiful villages, villas and gardens. During our last trip, we explored both Isola Madre and Islo Bella, which are both worth the time and ferry cost. If you can only visit one, I’d choose Isola Bella where you’ll see the grand baroque style villa and gardens of the 17th century Palazzo Borromeo, as well as the very small village with cobbled street and ancient houses.
This trip we plan to explore Isola dei Pescatori, although smaller than the other islands, it has a small traditional village occupying almost the entire island. The narrow streets that run through the heart of the village give it a great deal of charm. If you are exploring all three islands, this is the best one to enjoy your lunch, because there are more restaurants here than on the other islands in the group. You can also walk around the edges of Isola dei Pescatori to enjoy the views across the lake to the other islands and Stresa and Baveno.
Villa Taranto Botanic Gardens
I highly recommend a visit to Villa Taranto, whose English style manicured landscapes include exotic plants, a water lily pond, and thousands of tulips planted along terraces and waterfalls.
Additional Options to Explore
- Orta Sacro Monte, UNESCO site
- Lake Como
- Villa Pallavicino Zoological Park
- Feriolo Village
- Various Mountain Trails, including 14 from AllTrails
- Alpina Botanical Garden and many, many others
Courmayeur, Italy
During the last week of our stay, we are driving west to stay in the Gran Baita Hotel located in the enchanting Italian town of Courmayeur, which sits on the south side of Mont Blanc at 4,016′ elevation. Courmayeur offers stunning mountain views, great restaurants, and shops. From this location we’ll explore an alpine botanical garden, ride up the Skyway trams to the mountain tops, visit mountain villages, and walk along the many trails in this area.
Our first stop will be the Tourist Office at Piazzale Monte Bianco 15, where they offer trail maps and other information about the area. Another must do item on our list is to visit one of the many Refugees/Restaurants located on the trails, which offer local delicacies and drinks. This region is known for their locally produced meats, cold cuts, and cheeses (Fontina and Fromadzo).
Additional Options to Explore
- Alpine Botanical Garden Saussurea
- Skyway Monte Bianco
- Santa Margherita Entreves
- Mountain Villages- Dolonne, LaSaxe, Villair, and Larzey
- Various mountain trails, including 12 from AllTrails
- Drive to Gran Paradiso National Park
Even with three weeks, there are many places we wish to explore during this trip, so I’m sure our plans will change once we get to Italy. I’ll be sharing photos on Instagram @majesticmeadows throughout our trip. Once we get back, I’ll share more about our trip to Italy, so be sure to subscribe below so you won’t miss it.
Design, Garden, & Travel by Majestic Meadows 
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