Page 48 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

The Drive » Leave Stresa dendrons and camellias, the foot of the Cannobino
westwards on the Via Sempione acres of tulip flowers and valley, the medieval ham-
(SS33) skirting the edge of hothouses full of equato- let of Cannobio is located
the lake for this short, 14km rial lilies it is considered 5km from the Swiss
drive. Pass through Baveno and one of Europe’s finest border. It is a dreamy
round the western edge of the botanical gardens. Dur- place. Piazza di Vittorio
gulf through the greenery of
the Fondo Toce natural reserve. ing the last week in April, Emanuele III, lined with
When you reach the junction Settimana del Tulipano pastel-hued houses, is the
with the SS34, turn right for takes place, when tens of location of a huge Sun-
Verbania. thousands of tulips erupt day market that attracts
in magnificent multi- visitors from Switzer-
coloured bloom. land. Right in the heart
2 Verbania 5 p53 of the historic centre, in
The late-19th-century a 15th-century monas-
Villa Taranto (%0323 55 The Drive » Pick up the tery that later became
66 67; www.villataranto.it; Via SS34 again, continuing in a the home of the Pironi
Vittorio Veneto 111, Verbania northeasterly direction out of family, is the atmospheric
Verbania, through the suburbs
Pallanza; adult/reduced of Intra and Pallanza. Once Hotel Pironi (%0323
€10/5.50; h8.30am-6.30pm you’ve cleared the town the 7 06 24; www.pironihotel.
mid-Mar–Sep, 9am-4pm 20km to Cannobio are the it; Via Marconi 35; s €120, d
Oct; p) sits just outside prettiest on the tour, shadowing €150-195, tr €185-230; pW).
Verbania. In 1931, royal the lake shore the entire way Behind its thickset walls
ITALY 2 THE GRAcEFUL ITALIAN LAKES
archer and Scottish cap- with views across the water. are rooms with frescoed
tain Neil McEacharn vaults, exposed timber
bought the villa from the TRIP HIGHLIGHT beams and an assortment
Savoy family and started of tastefully decorated
to plant some 20,000 3 cannobio bedrooms.
species. With its rolling Sheltered by a high You can hire small
hillsides of purple rhodo- mountain and sitting at sailing boats (€35/55
per one/two hours) and
make an excursion to
the ruined Castelli della
Malpaga, located on two
DETOUR: rocky islets to the south
LAGO D’ORTA of Cannobio. In summer
it is a favourite picnic
Start: 1 Stresa (p44) spot.
Separated from Lake Maggiore by Monte Mottarone Alternatively, explore
(1492m) and enveloped by thick, dark-green the wild beauty of the
woodlands, Lago d’Orta would make a perfect Valle Cannobina up the
elopers’ getaway. At 13.4km long by 2.5km wide you SS631, following the
can drive around the lake in a day. The focal point is surging Torrente Can-
the captivating medieval village of Orta San Giulio, nobino stream into the
which sits across from Isola San Giulio, where you’ll heavily wooded hillsides
spy the frescoed, 12th-century Basilica di San to Malesco. Just 2.5km
Giulio (h9.30am-6pm Tue-Sun, 2-5pm Mon Apr-Sep, along the valley, in
9.30am-noon & 2-5pm Tue-Sun, 2-5pm Mon Oct-Mar). Come Sant’Anna, the torrent
during the week and you’ll have the place largely to forces its way powerfully
yourself. through a narrow gorge

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