L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano row ladders all the way to the top of the statue's head to look out its eyes. Not for c l a u s t r o p h o b e s o r a c r o - phobes! A c r o s s t h e l a k e i s t h e town of Angera – travelers can take a ferry across from Arona for the day. Above the town is the castle that was v i s i b l e f r o m A r o n a : t h e Rocca of Angera. Togeth- e r w i t h A r o n a ' s f o r t r e s s , t h e s e t w i n s t r o n g h o l d s d e f e n d e d t h e l a k e f r o m invaders for centuries. The Angera castle has fascinat- i n g r o o m s a n d b e a u t i f u l courtyards, and of course wonderful views of the lake (the Colossus of San Carlo looks so small from here!). The castle is also home to a large collection of antique dolls, one of the creepiest places we've ever visited. Back at the lakeside, Angera also has a large green park, perfect for a cocktail and a stroll before hopping the ferry back to Arona. Lago Maggiore is a huge lake, and these sites are only a handful of the many places that it has to offer. As we m e n t i o n e d a t t h e o u t s e t , there is only one Como – a real town with real resi- d e n t s . N e v e r t h e l e s s , i t s broad central piazza is fabu- lous in itself, and its lakeside park makes for a beautiful walk from the piazza to the ferry dock. Intrepid travelers w h o p r e f e r h i k i n g r a t h e r than walking can instead search out the footpath lead- ing steeply up the hill to the north, arriving at the Parco della Rocca Borromea. Here, from the ruins of the Rocca Borromea castle, o n e c a n e n j o y v i e w s o f a n o t h e r c a s t l e a c r o s s t h e lake. (More on that below). This park is free to enter, though it has varying open- ing times, reliant on local caretakers' availability. Just a few minutes to the north outside of Arona, high above the lake, is the Colos- s u s o f S a n C a r l o B o r - romeo. Carlo was one of the Big Fancy People of the time, whose family owned the aforementioned islands. The Colosso is a huge 17th- century copper statue over- looking the lake – it was the basis for the design of the Statue of Liberty a century later. Visitors can climb to only the terrace, or up nar- but, just as there is only one Statue of Liberty, there are often alternatives to famous places – and some of them might be more fun to experi- e n c e w i t h o u t t h e c r o w d s looking to spot Clooney! https://www.isole-bor- romee.it/isola-dei-pesca- tori/ https://terreborromeo.it/ en/isola-bella https://www.sacrimonti.o rg/sacro-monte-di-ghiffa https://www.parcoroc- caarona.com/ https://terreborromeo.it/ en/rocca-di-angera About the authors: Zene- ba & Matt moved from the US to Italy in 2019, where they live and work as per- f o r m i n g m u s i c i a n s a n d travel consultants. They are also authors of four award- winning travel guidebooks (including one for Italy's Lakes region!), and a mem- oir, "I Can't Believe We Live Here: The Wild But True Story of How We Dropped E v e r y t h i n g i n t h e S t a t e s and Moved to Italy, Right B e f o r e t h e E n d o f t h e World." www.littleroadseurope.c om i s l a n d s , a n d t h e e a s i e s t place from which to get the ferries – we head north on the lake road (it should be n o t e d t h a t m u c h o f t h e s h o r e l i n e d r i v e f r o m o n e town to another is itself a d e s t i n a t i o n , a s t h e v i e w s around every curve are won- derful, and the opportunity for a perfect lakeside cap- puccino or Spritz are many). J u s t p a s t t h e s p r a w l i n g town of Verbania is the tiny t o w n o f G h i f f a , a b o v e which is the Sacro Monte di Ghiffa. This is one of nine UNESCO Sacri Monti – 15th and 16th-century her- mitage points for religious p i l g r i m s – s i t e s i n I t a l y , most of which are in this northern Lakes region. This one is relatively small – only a dozen or so chapels – and since it's quite out of the way, it's usually serene and peaceful. Also, the Church usually claims the best real estate, and Ghiffa's Sacro Monte is no exception: the v i e w s o v e r t h e l a k e a r e absolutely stunning. S o u t h o f S t r e s a i s t h e town of Arona. Unlike Stre- sa, with its splendid palace hotels, Arona feels more like E v e r y b o d y h a s h e a r d o f L a k e C o m o , a n d everyone wants t o s e e i t ; i t i s undeniably beautiful. What's also undeniable, though, is t h a t i t ' s e x p e n s i v e a n d c r o w d e d , w i t h a l o t o f tourists only there hoping f o r a s i g h t i n g o f G e o r g e Clooney. Its single ring-road is narrow and precipitous, making it susceptible to fre- quent traffic backups that turn it into a parking lot. F o r o u r m o n e y – a n d more importantly, our time – L a g o M a g g i o r e i s a much-preferable alternative. The same Alps visible in the distance, the same amazing lakeside towns and villas, and the same lake fish on the menu. And while some of its major attractions can inevitably become crowded, especially in high season or on holidays, Maggiore has a wealth of lesser-known but fantastic locations. Here are j u s t a f e w o f o u r c h o i c e spots! One of our favorite things to do is an overnight stay on o n e o f t h e I s o l e B o r - r o m e e . T h e s e i s l a n d s – Madre, Bella, and Pescatori – a r e t h e m o s t f a m o u s tourist sites on the lake, and d u r i n g t h e d a y t h e y a r e heavily visited. But in the evening when the day-trip- p e r s h a v e d i s p e r s e d , t h e atmosphere on Isola Bella and Isola dei Pescatori becomes magical, with only overnighters and a few resi- d e n t s ( I s o l a M a d r e i s a n entire park in itself; as such, it has no overnight option). A s i d e f r o m t h e f a m o u s palace and gardens of Bella, there are just a couple of lit- tle streets with a few shops and a couple of restaurants and lodgings. We especially enjoy Pescatori, though, the only truly residential island of the three, as staying there lets you live the dream of living on an Italian island. Orienting ourselves from Stresa – the bustling main- l a n d t o w n c l o s e s t t o t h e Just like Lake Como, Lake Maggiore is surrounded by the mountains and its shores are rich in beautiful architecture . Image courtesy of Matt Walker Between islands and mountains: the magic of Lago Maggiore MATT WALKER ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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