Stresa: Grand Hotels, Lakeside Views, and the Borromean Islands
This travel guide covers my visit to Stresa, the main Italian resort town on Lago Maggiore, known for its historic grand hotels, beaches and promenade along the lake, and the Borromean Islands.
A spontaneous trip to Stresa
After the breathtaking journey on the Centovalli Railway from Locarno to Domodossola, I was once again on Italian soil.
My holiday around the Swiss and Italian lakes was nearly over, and all that remained was a short train ride to Milan, followed by a high-speed train to Bologna to catch my flight home from that city’s airport.
As my flight was not departing until late in the evening, I still had most of the day ahead of me.
Originally, I had planned to travel from Domodossola to Milan as quickly as possible and spend the afternoon there.
However, I knew that my train journey from Domodossola to Milan would take me along the shores of Lago Maggiore, and spending some time by the lakeside sounded far more appealing than visiting a big city like Milan, which I had already been to a few times before.
As I was travelling around Switzerland and Italy with an Interrail pass, I knew I could easily adjust my plans and deviate from my original itinerary, as I had the flexibility to take a later train to Milan as well.
Based on a quick online search while waiting for my train, it seemed that Stresa was by far the most interesting destination on Lake Maggiore along the railway line south to Milan, so I decided it would be the town where I would stop.
Domodossola station
Domodossola is an important railway junction, marking the end of the narrow-gauge Centovalli-Vigezzina line and serving as the starting point for both the Simplon Railway across the Alps to Valais in Switzerland and the mainline south to Milan.
Frequent regional trains, along with the occasional EuroCity train from Switzerland, connect Domodossola to Milan, stopping en route at Stresa.
I simply waited for the first available train, which turned out to be a double-deck regional service.
Domodossola to Stresa by Train
Train RE2427 – Departure: 12.56pm – Arrival: 1.22pm
Duration: 0h26m – Distance: 38 kilometres
Along the shores of Lake Maggiore
The journey on the regional express train from Domodossola to Stresa was quick, taking just under 30 minutes with only one intermediate stop at Verbania-Pallanza station.
It’s a pleasant ride through the Ossola Valley, with fine mountain views on both sides of the railway line.
However, it’s best to sit on the left-hand side of the train when travelling south, as this offers some great views over Lake Maggiore.
The moments just before arrival in Stresa offer especially wonderful views, as you can easily spot the Borromean Islands in the lake.
Walking into Stresa
The train station in Stresa is just 450 metres from the lakeside promenade, so reaching the shores of Lake Maggiore should take only a few minutes.
If you walk along Via Duchessa di Genova towards the lake, you will first pass the Carabinieri police station on your left, followed by a beautiful abandoned building on land that now serves as the parking lot for Hotel La Palma across the street.
This building, known as Villa Basile, is one of three abandoned and heavily decayed villas on this terrain, the others being Villa Natalia and Villa Marina.
These three villas in Stresa were once owned by the Italian fascist writer and politician Carlo Emanuele Basile, who even hosted American writer Ernest Hemingway and fascist dictator Benito Mussolini here.
A larger fourth mansion, Villa Carlotta, once stood opposite Villa Basile, but it was torn down long ago, and Hotel La Palma now occupies the site.
Basile, who was controversially acquitted of collaborationism charges after World War II, died in Stresa in 1972.
For a long time, Hotel La Palma has sought to expand by constructing a second hotel complex on the site of the three remaining villas, but so far, all plans have been rejected by the local authorities as they did not meet the requirements for preserving these historical monuments.
The grand hotels of Stresa
Once you arrive at Corso Umberto I, the main street and lakeside promenade that hugs the shores of Lago Maggiore, you will immediately notice Stresa’s historic grand hotels.
For much of its history, Stresa was a quiet fishing village on Lake Maggiore, but by the mid-19th century, it began transforming into a tourist resort as travel and leisure holidays became a lasting trend among the wealthier classes.
Much of this was due to the visionary initiative of the Omarini brothers, who in 1859 began constructing the Hotel des Iles Borromées (Hotel of the Borromean Islands).
When the Simplon Tunnel opened in 1906, making Stresa easily accessible from Switzerland and much of the rest of Europe as well, the hotel was further expanded and became known as the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées.
The Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées remains the most historic and magnificent of all the grand hotels in Stresa, having hosted many distinguished guests over the decades, the most famous of whom is arguably Ernest Hemingway, who stayed here in 1918 and set part of his 1929 novel A Farewell to Arms in the hotel.
If you can afford it, the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées is undoubtedly the place to stay in Stresa, although there are several other impressive grand hotels on lakeside Corso Umberto I, including the Regina Palace Hotel and Grand Hotel Bristol, both of which also ooze a lot of historic charm.
Lake Maggiore beaches
In the heart of Stresa, you’ll find some good-quality pebble beaches on Lago Maggiore, and swimming in the lake is a popular pastime in the summer.
Part of the beach appeared to be organised with seats and loungers for rent or reserved for guests of hotels and lakeside restaurants, while a large stretch in Stresa clearly served as a public beach where you could lay down your own towel.
Aperol time
Instead of swimming, I opted to sit at one of the many lakeside bars and restaurants in Stresa for a drink with a view.
Knowing it would be the last Aperol Spritz of my trip, I thoroughly enjoyed the drink and the wonderful views of the Stresa lakeshore, with its grand hotels and the stunning scenery of Lake Maggiore and the surrounding mountains.
Lakeside promenade
Stresa’s lakeside promenade, or the Lungolago as the Italians call it, makes for a highly pleasant stroll.
The lakeside promenade not only offers stunning views over Lake Maggiore, but is also beautifully landscaped, featuring palm trees and several flower gardens.
From the pier at the end of Stresa’s lakeside promenade, you can take a boat to the Borromean Islands.
At the pier, you’ll find a ticket office and information point for Navigazione Lago Maggiore, where you can buy your tickets, which is also possible online.
Borromean Islands
A major sight in Stresa, which sadly I didn’t have time to visit, is the Borromean Islands, located just a short 5 to 10-minute boat ride from the lakeside promenade.
These islands in Lake Maggiore are named after the aristocratic Borromeo family from Milan, several of whose members rose to the ranks of Cardinal and Archbishop of Milan, and who acquired the islands, along with much of the land in Stresa, in the early 16th century.
Of the Borromean Islands, Isola Bella (Beautiful Island) is the most famous, as it’s home to the late 17th-century Palazzo Borromeo (Borromeo Palace) and a sprawling Baroque garden, making it one of the most visited tourist sights not only in Stresa but perhaps even in the entire Lake Maggiore region.
Isola dei Pescatori (Fishermen’s Island), located just north of Isola Bella, is the only one of the Borromean Islands that has never belonged to the Borromeo family, and is permanently inhabited by a few dozen people.
Isola Madre, the largest of the Borromean Islands, located in the middle of the lake roughly halfway between Stresa and Verbania, also features a summer palace and English-style gardens.
Apart from these three main islands, there is also the much smaller Isolino di San Giovanni, as well as Scoglio della Malghera, although Malghera is barely larger than a rock with a few trees on it.
Back to the station
As I sadly had to head back to the railway station to continue my travels to Milan, I had to say goodbye for now to beautiful Stresa.
As dark clouds began to appear in the sky, heading back was probably the right call in any case, as I knew I could always travel back to Stresa to visit the Borromean Islands.
After a short wait at the station, my train to Milan arrived, signalling that my holiday was now truly nearing its end.
Conclusion
Stresa is a wonderful travel destination on the Italian shores of Lake Maggiore, offering fine beaches and a charming lakeside promenade.
In the mid-19th century, Stresa developed into a major travel destination, a process accelerated by the opening of the Simplon Tunnel in 1906, which also allowed affluent travellers from Switzerland and other Central European countries to easily reach Stresa by rail.
It was during this era that many of Stresa’s historic grand hotels were built, with the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées being the most magnificent of them all.
Apart from its picturesque lakeshore and stunning views over Lake Maggiore and the surrounding mountains, the top sights in Stresa are the Borromean Islands, with Isola Bella featuring a beautiful 17th-century palace and Baroque gardens.
Trip report index
This article is part of the ‘Scenic Trains Around Switzerland and the Italian Lakes‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:
1. Bergamo: A Visit to Lombardy’s Beautiful Hilltop Town
2. Travelling From Bergamo to Milan by Train
3. From Milan to Varenna and Tirano By Trenord Regional Train
4. A Varenna Visit: A Day Trip to Lake Como’s Most Beautiful Town
5. Tirano: The Italian Gateway to the Bernina Railway
6. Bernina Express Train: Guide to Switzerland’s Most Scenic Railway
7. Review: Swiss InterCity (IC) Train Chur to Zurich and Basel
8. From Zurich to Geneva on a Swiss ICN Tilting Train
9. Cheap Geneva Hotel: Stay Across the Border in Annemasse!
10. Around Lake Geneva by Train: From Geneva to Montreux
11. A Visit to Montreux and the Freddie Mercury Statue
12. Golden Pass: Guide to a Scenic Railway Route Across Switzerland
13. Swiss Chique: The MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque Train
14. From the Mountains to the Lake: Zweisimmen to Spiez by Train
15. Spectacular Spiez: A Visit to a Scenic Swiss Town
16. Spiez to Interlaken by Train: A Trip on the Lake Thun Railway Line
17. Review: Interlaken to Lucerne by Zentralbahn Train
18. Lucerne: Exploring One of Switzerland’s Most Beautiful Cities
19. From Lucerne to Locarno: By Train Across the Gotthard
20. A Visit to Locarno and the Sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso
21. Centovalli Railway: By Train From Locarno to Domodossola
22. Stresa: Grand Hotels, Lakeside Views, and the Borromean Islands (current chapter)
** rest of the chapters to follow soon **
