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Nearby activities
Villa Taranto
The Botanical Gardens of Villa Taranto are an unmissable destination for nature and landscape lovers.
Here, among flower-lined paths and rare botanical species from all over the world, every visitor can experience a real journey through the colours and scents of nature.
Borromean Islands
From the eighteenth century onwards, the great families of the Lombard nobility such as the Viscontis and the Borromeos went on holiday.
In the 14th century, the Borromeo family made the lush islands of the Gulf their favorite destinations, initiating their transformation and creating imposing villas and gardens of rare beauty.
Even today, the two "sister" islands, Isola Bella and Isola Madre, are owned by the Borromeo family, while Isola dei Pescatori has remained at the disposal of the community that has always inhabited it and has not undergone any particular changes over the centuries, maintaining a spartan yet equally evocative atmosphere for visitors.
Villa Pallavicino
Villa Pallavicino began as a private residence in 1855. It was acquired in 1862 by the noble Genoese Pallavicino family, who expanded the estate, built carriage roads, adorned the park with statues, and transformed the simple residence into the splendid 19th-century neoclassical villa that still stands on the hill today. Borromeo management began in 2017, the year in which a series of restoration and improvement projects were undertaken to the animal enclosures and the tree-lined avenues.
Statue of San Carlo
The Statue of San Carlo stands on a hill about 310 meters above sea level, on the road connecting Arona to Dagnente. Standing approximately 35 meters tall, it can be seen even from the lake, peeking out from among the centuries-old trees surrounding it.
The Sancarlone, as the people of Arona affectionately call it, is a hollow statue supported by a stone, brick, and iron core. The exterior is made of copper plates hammered onto the support structure and held together with nails and tie rods. The blessing arm is made of a complex metal structure, designed to withstand the strong winds of the area.
Angera Fortress
The Rocca di Angera is a place of timeless charm, rising between the Lombardy shore of Lake Maggiore and the sky. Today, the castle houses historic rooms, towers, and romantic courtyards, a doll museum, and a period-style garden. But above all, it is a rare example of a perfectly preserved medieval fortress. After a long dispute with the Sforza family, at the dawn of the 16th century the Borromeo family became its permanent owners, a position that remains to this day.
Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso
It is a monastery located on the Lombard shore of Lake Maggiore, in the Italian municipality of Leggiuno, of which it is the most emblematic monument, so much so that it appears on the municipal coat of arms. According to tradition, the construction of the Santa Caterina complex dates back to 1170, when a certain Alberto Besozzi di Arolo, a merchant and moneylender of the time, having survived a shipwreck during a lake crossing, vowed to Saint Catherine of Alexandria to retire for the rest of his life in prayer and solitude in a cave on that stretch of coast. There he built a chapel to the Saint, which was later preserved within the church. Later beatified, his remains rest within the church.
Toce Falls
The Toce waterfall, or La Frua, is a waterfall located in the municipality of Formazza, in the hamlet of Frua, at an altitude of 1675 m above sea level. The Toce River cascades 143 m over a 200 m rocky slope, with a 60 m drop at its base.
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