Isola Madre - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Situated on the western side of Lake Maggiore, directly opposite Stresa, the three Borromean Islands lie in a wide gulf surrounded by mountains. The islands take their name from the aristocratic Borromean family, who took ownership of the land in the 16th and 17th centuries. Together totalling just 50 acres in area, they are a major local tourist attraction for their picturesque setting.

L ' Isola Dei Pescatori, also known as Isola Superiore, is the only archipelago of the Borromeo in Lake Maggiore to be permanently inhabited. 100 meters wide by 350 meters long, it houses a small village, with characteristic multi-story houses, with a small square, characteristic narrow alleys, the lakefront, and the main street to allow the movements strictly on foot of the 57 inhabitants who live off fishing and tourism.

L ' Isola Bella is located in Lake Maggiore, is part of the group of so-called Borromean Islands, and is located in the Gulf dedicated to the famous family who still has the property, about 400 meters off the coast of Stresa. It measures 320 meters long and 180 meters wide and is largely occupied by the Italian garden of the Borromeo palace, which occupies the north-western coast of the islet.

The Villa Taranto Botanical Garden is a botanical garden of 16 hectares of extension, located in Pallanza, Italy. It is located on the western shore of Lake Maggiore in Verbania. It is open to the public daily and they charge an entrance fee. Today the gardens contain nearly 20,000 plant varieties, representing more than 3,000 species, set among 7 km of paths. Among its collections are azalea, Cornus, greenhouses of Victoria amazonica, and 300 types of dahlias. It also contains a small herbariu

The hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso is a monastery built overhanging the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, in the municipality of Leggiuno. The monastery can be reached on foot by descending down a long winding stairway or by taking an elevator or by a number of ferry services or boats that dock at the pier. Visitors are rewarded with a secluded garden courtyard leading to an unassuming church door. It is in this chapel that you’ll find the extremely well-preserved body of Alberto Besozzi,

The Mottarone is a granite mountain, located in Piedmont, in the Mergozzolo group, in the Pennine Alps, divided between the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and the province of Novara. Over the years, various archaeological finds have been found at the summit of Mottarone during several excavations which, subsequently, have been attributed to the Lombard period. The peak is in the communal territory of Stresa, between the Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore. The source of the Agogna river is located in the mountain