Lago Maggiore

Adventure Trip

Peschiera’s old town, completely surrounded by canals, is located within a mighty, beautifully overgrown fortress. While strolling through the narrow alleys – not dominated by tourism – one can find many nice shops and small bars.

The star-shaped fortress of Peschiera, completely surrounded by water, with its 2,250 meters of walls, is the largest military installation on Lake Garda. Today, it is largely overgrown with trees and bushes and partly somewhat dilapidated. However, its core still belongs to the army, but can be visited by prior arrangement.

True to our word, all guests found the small town wonderful, and so we had a great first stop in Bella Italia.

We continued to San Martino della Battaglia. The Torre di San Martino della Battaglia is a memorial commemorating the Battle of Solferino in 1859. In the adjacent ossuary, the remains of thousands of fallen soldiers are preserved.

Following this visit, we proceeded to our final destination, Lago Maggiore, to the beautiful Hotel Il Chiostro in Verbania. Hotel Il Chiostro in Verbania is a charming renovated monastery located in the old town of Intra, directly on the shores of Lago Maggiore. We enjoyed a pleasant dinner before we all went to bed, tired.

Upon arriving in Locarno, I took the funicular up with a few guests, where a wonderful view over the Swiss part of Lago Maggiore awaited us.

The historic funicular of Locarno…
the romantic and convenient way to visit the Sacro Monte Madonna del Sasso and a starting point for beautiful walks above Locarno.

“As fantastic and wonderful as Isola Bella may be, it is even more beautiful than one can imagine.” Charles Dickens, the famous English writer, said this about Isola Bella, the second of the Borromean Islands, in 1844.

The Isola Bella is located on the northwestern side of the lake and consists entirely of a garden that corresponds to the Italian style of Palazzo Borromeo. In 1632, Count Vitaliano Borromeo began the construction of the monumental Baroque palace and the majestically terraced gardens, which still document the pomp of an era today. Visitors are overwhelmed by the splendor of the tapestries, paintings, furniture, and statues that adorn the palace. At the end of the visit, one has access to the gardens and can fully enjoy a charming stroll among exotic plants.

A historical note: On April 11, 1935, the “Stresa Peace Conference” was convened. This location is situated in front of Isola Bella, but the 4-day conference was then held in the Borromean Palace on Isola Bella. The participants were: Mussolini, Italy’s dictator; Mac Donald, Prime Minister of England; and Laval, Prime Minister of France. The goal was to counteract Hitler’s expansionism to ensure Austria’s independence. Unfortunately, the political events that soon followed showed that this peace conference ultimately had no success.

Impressions of Isola Bella… the photos speak for themselves! 🙂

After the wonderful tour, we continued to the neighboring island, Isola dei Pescatori.

Isola dei Pescatori, also known as Fishermen’s Island or Isola Superiore, is the only permanently inhabited island.

The characteristic alleys and houses with long balconies for drying fish, the small village square, the tree-lined promenade, and the main street make it one of the most romantic and picturesque places on the lake. Upon arrival, we enjoyed our well-deserved lunch break, and everyone had free time at their disposal.

Day 4: Return Journey – One should leave, when things are at their best!

Unfortunately, this also applied to our trip. Many great experiences and perfect weather, neither too hot nor too cool, rounded off our Lago Maggiore trip. But as we all know, after the trip is before the trip, and two beautiful stops on the return journey over the Maloja Pass were, of course, a must.

Lunch in the immediate vicinity of the Swiss border, in Chiavenna, the pearl of the Mera Valley. Known for its artistic and cultural sights, its rich gastronomic tradition, and its relaxed lifestyle in the style of a Città Slow. Chiavenna, probably of Etruscan origin, was also a Roman staging post and always an important junction between Italy and northern Europe.

Many thanks for the wonderful days in beautiful Italy. You were a great group, and we had a lot of fun together. Thanks also to Josef, who knows every house, castle, and story. We were all a great team. To be continued…