Art and food on lake Maggiore: Stresa and Isola Bella

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Private Tour

4 hours

German, English, Italian, French, Spanish

Mobile ticket

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Overview

Available languages

German

English

Italian

French

Spanish

4 hours

Mobile ticket

Stresa, known as the pearl of lake Maggiore, stands in front of the Borromean

Islands, which got their name by the ancient family who owned them since the 16th century. One one of these, Isola Bella, Carlo III Borromeo built a gorgeous baroque mansion, dedicated to his wife Isabella.

This private guided tour will allow you to explore Isola Bella and the splendor of the palace and its garden; once back in Stresa, you'll have a walk on the cosy small streets of the town centre, until you'll reach a local winery for a mouth-watering aperitif, based on local wines, cold cuts and cheese.

Additional Info

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

What To Expect

Stresa

This small town, standing on the Western coast of Lake Maggiore in the so-called Borromea Gulf, is one of the most visited touristic sites of entire Piemonte. Its territory includes three of the four Borromean Islands: Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola Superiora, also named Isola dei Pescatori. The first recorded file about the town is dated 998, but even in the Roman age, the way leading from Milan to the Sempione pass ran by this site.

2 hours • Admission Not Applicable

Isola Bella

This small island, formerly inhabited by a few fishermen, was deeply transformed by the Borromeo family, since 1632; in this year, Carlo III Borromeo started the construction of a gorgeous palace, dedicated to his wife Isabella, which was later completed, in 1671, by an amazing Baroque garden. Palazzo Borromeo also hosted Napoleon I with his wife and, later in 1935, the Conference of Stresa, held between the representatives of Italian, British and French government.

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Included