The Borromean Islands (Isole Borromee) Overview

Beckoning visitors with dense greenery and stately villas, the lush beauty of the Borromean Islands (in Italian “EE-so-leh bo-ro-MEY”) is one of the lake’s major attractions. Situated between Stresa and Pallanza, the islands are easily accessible by ferry. The opulent   Palazzo e Giardini Borromeo is set on the pearl of Maggiore, Isola Bella. This Baroque palace, built in 1670 by Count Vitaliano Borromeo, features meticulously designed rooms constructed over 300 years, with priceless tapestries and Van Dyck paintings. Napoleon and Josephine slept in the alcove of the grand Napoleon Room during his first Italian campaign in 1797. The Sala della Musica hosted Mussolini, Laval, and MacDonald at the 1935 Conference of Stresa, the last attempt to stave off WWII. Six underground man-made grottoes are covered in mosaics; for years, peasants collected black stones to complete the masterpieces. Ten terraced gardens rise up like a wedding cake, punctuated by statues of gods and topped with a unicorn, the symbol of the Borromeo family, whose motto, Humilitas (humility), is not so apparent here. (☎0323 30 556; www.grandigiardini.it. Open daily Mar. 21-Oct. 21 9am-6pm, garden until 6:15pm. Last entry 30min. before closing. Tours for 2-50 people can be arranged at least one day in advance by phone or at info@borromeoturismo.it. €11, ages 6-15 €5. Combined ticket for the palazzo and the Villa Taranto on Isola Madre €16, children €7. Audio tour €2.50. €35 per group.)

From Isola Bella, a short ferry ride leads to Isola Superiore dei Pescatori, a quaint fishing village full of souvenir vendors and cats, who come for the daily catch. There’s a little-used rocky swimming beach on the west end of the island, but keep in mind this is an alpine lake; the water may be more chilling than refreshing. On top of the hill in the village, the only other attraction is the Chiesa di San Vitore, dedicated to a martyred second-century borromese native who later became a saint. While most of the church dates from 1638, portions of the altar date from the first century. (Open daily 9am-6pm. Free.) There is no such thing as a non-touristy restaurant on these popular islands, but head left when exiting ferry to reach Ristorante Italia , V. Ugo Ara 58, which specializes in local fish and serves it in a charming blue-and-white house overlooking the lake. (☎0323 30 456; www.stresaonline.com/italia. Primi €7-10. Secondi €10-15. Cover €1.50. Open daily noon-3pm and 7-10pm. AmEx/MC/V.)

Isola Madre, almost entirely covered by its garden, is the largest and most tranquil of the islands, and thus predictably the local favorite—perhaps because it also feels like a step back in time. Its elegant Villa Taranto was started in 1502 by Lancelotto Borromeo and finished by Count Renato 100 years later, after Lancelotto reputedly met his end in the mouth of a D dragon. A far cry from many stuffy residences of European nobility, the villa has a number of room-sized puppet theaters, set with scenery and marionettes ranging from whimsical to creepy. The villa’s gardens have exotic flora and fauna—a flock of white peacocks and various other flamboyantly plumed birds guard the 200-year-old Cashmir Cyprus. Visit in July to see the rare lotus blossoms in bloom. (}/fax 0323 31 261. Open daily Mar.-Sept. 9am-noon and 1:30-8:30pm; Oct.-Feb. 9:30am-12:30pm and 1:30-5pm. €10, ages 6-15 €5. Combined ticket with the Palazzo e Giardini Borromeo €16.50, children €7.50. Audio tour €2.50.)

If you’ve budgeted a day for island hopping, stop across the lake from Stresa at the small monastery   Santa Caterina del Sasso. Tucked along the coast, a few miles away from Baveno, the monastery is difficult to reach other than by boat; the complete isolation is worth exploring for the amount of late-Renaissance artwork inside, the highlight being a 17th-century fresco God the Father. Boats depart from Stresa (7-8 per day from 9:20am-4:35pm) for the monastery. (www.provincia.va.it/preziosita/ukvarese/itin/maggiore/gemonio.htm. Open daily Apr.-Oct. 8:30am-noon and 2:30-6pm; Nov.-Mar. 9am-noon and 2-5pm. Free.)

Ferries (☎0323 800 551 801; www.navigazionelaghi.it) run from Stresa to Carciano, Isola Bella, Isola Superiore, Baveno, Isola Madre, then Pallanza, and ending in Intra. Ferries leave Stresa every 15-30min. from 7:10am to 7:10pm and return from Intra until 6pm. A one-day ticket for unlimited travel between Stresa, Pallanza, and the three islands costs €11.50. Individual tickets from Stresa to Isola Bella or Superiore cost €6.60, and to Isola Madre €8.40. All tickets are valid until returning to departure point. A single day combined ride to Isola Bella, Isola Superiore, and Isola Madre with ferry ride costs €28.