The Lakes of Northern Italy

By Enrico Massetti

The Lakes in Northern Italy are an oasis of the mild climate in the middle of the Pianura Padana's hot and humid summers, and it's cold and foggy winters.
This guide takes you on a multi-day trip in the lakes of Northern Italy. The itinerary starts from Novara, goes to the lakes region: Lake Orta, Stresa on Lake Maggiore. It continues on the west coast with a visit to Villa Taranto. It enters then in Switzerland and to Lake Lugano. Back to Italy on Lake Como. A visit to the city, then Villa Carlotta, Menaggio, Bellagio, Varenna, and Lecco. The itinerary ends in Milan.
The guide has a listing of many reviews for the best-recommended restaurants in the localities described. The digital edition includes active links to the review pages; you can use them if you have an active Internet connection. Still, if you don't, you have the necessary information ready: the name, address, and telephone number are included in the guide together with the review. This information is available on the printed edition too.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Massetti Publishing
• Release date: Nov 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215280805

Enrico Massetti

Enrico Massetti nació en Milán, Italia, donde vivió durante más de 30 años, visitando innumerables destinos turísticos, desde las montañas de los Alpes hasta el mar de Sicilia. Ahora vive en Washington, Estados Unidos. Sin embargo, visita regularmente su ciudad natal y disfruta recorriendo todos los lugares de su país, especialmente aquellos a los que puede llegar en transporte público. Puede contactar con Enrico en [e-mail].

Book preview

The Lakes of Northern Italy

Enrico Massetti

Published by Massetti Publishing, 2022.

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

THE LAKES OF NORTHERN ITALY

First edition. November 21, 2022.

Copyright © 2022 Enrico Massetti.

ISBN: 979-8215280805

Written by Enrico Massetti.

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Dedicated to my Lake Lugano friends

The Lakes of Northern Italy

A journey around the lakes

Enrico Massetti

The Lakes of Northern Italy

A journey around the lakes

Enrico Massetti

Text Copyright © Enrico Massetti 2015-2022

Images ©, or CC Creative Commons license, as specified for each image

Cover image © Enrico Massetti, Adobe inc.

Published by Enrico Massetti

All Rights Reserved

2022-4 edition

ISBN: 9798798904921

prepared for my Florida friends

living now on their Lake Lugano

The Lakes

The area of the lakes

This itinerary takes you on a car tour of four major lakes in Northern Italy: Lake Orta, Lake Maggiore, Lake Lugano, and Lake Como.

It wanders between Italy and Switzerland, so take your passport with you, as you will need it.

Restaurants reviews

All the restaurants I mention have lovely food, attentive and courteous staff. I will only tell you what makes them unique among others.

Start of the trip

Rice fields near Novara - User:Idéfix CC BY-SA 3.0

You can start your trip from Borgomanero, easily reachable from Milan and Turin with the A4 autostrada, then the E26, and Genoa with the E26.

This road to the Borgomanero passes through the risaie, the rice fields of the plain near Novara, then climbs some little hill full of vineyards to arrive finally to Borgomanero.

In all, it’s not a very attractive part of the itinerary; it’s just a monotonous one-hour transfer.

You can make it more interesting by interrupting it for a wine taste or a pastry shop buy.

Ghemme - red wine on E26

The wine hills of Fara and Ghemme - Alessandro Vecchi CC BY-SA 3.0

Vineyards and Wineries: this is the land of famous DOC and DOCG red wines, don’t miss them!

Several wineries are open for visitors and sell their wine onsite, don’t miss the opportunity!

Pastries in Romagnano Sesia

Pasticceria Costantino historical photo

I also recommend a small detour from Ghemme to Romagnano Sesia; it will reward you with beautiful and tasty Pasticceria prepared since 1938 by Costantino and his crew.

Novara Historic Ethnographic Museum

Historical and ethnographic museum, the trades. Alessandro Vecchi CC BY-SA 3.0

The Ethnographic Museum is in Novara in Piedmont in Italy, based in the context of the monumental architecture of the Villa Caccia, 19th century building designed by architect A. Antonelli, currently owned by the City of Romagnano Sesia, which, with the important contribution of the Piedmont region, has made it possible to recover the architectural and functional part of the complex. Sections include House and Peasant Culture in wine and all other sections in the east wing corridors.

Starting from Malpensa airport

From Malpensa to Borgomanero - 39 min 40 km

Should you be arriving with a flight to the Malpensa airport, when you start driving your rental car to go to Lake Orta, a fast tollway will whisper quickly - traffic allowing - and arrive at your destination. Be careful, though, that during the late afternoon commuters' hours, it can be hectic in the initial tract.

At terminal 1, you take SS336dir North and exit at SS336, driving through all the remote parking lots. The chances are that your rental car company has its base in one of these.

Continue SS336 through Somma Lombardo, where the road changes name to SS33 for one block, then turns left, continuing as Via Giuseppe Mazzini. Stay on SS33 through several intersections until you arrive at Autostrada A8/A26 dir. (E62) Casello di Sesto Calende Vergiate