A Tale of Two Lakes: Como and Maggiore
Sitting on a small but perfectly positioned balcony at the Regina Palace Hotel, one of the best appointed residences in the small but not insignificant Italian town of Stresa, and you could be forgiven for thinking you’d stepped back in time a good half century or so. Which is by no means a criticism.
The address itself nods to Grand Hotel Budapest-era lodgings; all crystal chandeliers, elaborate antique foyer sofas, and an air of aged indulgence betraying a history which saw the first three Miss Italia contests held here, from 1946-1949, with Gina Lollobrigida amongst the early winners. Meanwhile, the view out onto the promenade buffering our garden from the stunning Lake Maggiore showcases wrought iron cafe tables filled with tourists escaping the scorching midday sun beneath traditional parasols, and, beyond those, motor boats and water taxis- more retro than modern- meandering from one tiny jetty to another.
With the entire area experiencing an initial boom in tourism and hotel building just after the turn of the 20th Century (the Regina Palace being one of the first to emerge from that period), this idea of being in a very different era is impossible to escape when taking in the architecture. Everything indicates a time when the very act of travelling in itself was tantamount to membership of the world’s most exclusive club. There’s no denying that, by comparison, there are more luxurious and opulent places to be in 2015, yet the charm and sense of long-established prestige make Stresa difficult to countenance.
Away from the waterfront, the streets take a turn for the smaller, narrower, and more hopelessly Romantic. Wandering these illogically planned diagonal thoroughfares and perhaps there could be more variety on offer than the odd tobacconist, a handful of wine bars, a few trattorias and pizzerias. Nevertheless, anyone looking for photogenic northern Italy will still be spoilt for choice when trying to decide which scene makes for the best picture. We decide on a butcher preparing for another day selling serrano hams and local speciality cheeses. There could have been plenty more, though.
Of course these inner lanes aren’t the priority for visitors. Stresa has both helped to establish Maggiore as one of the vacation hotspots in this part of the country, and relies on that same breathtaking expanse of water to put itself on the map. As the second largest Italian lake, it straddles two of the nation’s most beautiful regions, Piedmont and Lombardy- both renowned for their exquisite wines- and even finds its northern fringes outside the domestic borders in Switzerland, with the first peaks of the Alps in sight.
For the most part, though, the emphasis is on three small islands floating off the shoreline; Isola Bella, Isola Madre (home to exquisite palaces of art and lush botanical gardens), and easily the most infectious of these, Isola dei Pescatori. Translated as ‘the fisherman’s island’, a working community still inhabit this microscopic strip of rock surrounded by the swell of waves created by passing boats, and once you make landfall the buzz of activity is immediately tangible.
Groups of kids, teenagers and twenty-somethings sit, feet in the water, idly watching the world go by. An old woman, dressed in traditional orthodox clothing, gazes out across the bay, as if reliving an eternity of to-die-for-vistas, the likes of which only people lucky enough to live in such settings are privy to. Boatmen pull up to drop off their cargo- be that passengers, seafood, wine or beer- and away from the water’s edge you’ll find a concentration of good restaurants to pick from.
We’ve been told, on some authority, that the best of these is the Belvedere, and a few minutes into our first course that advice is ringing true. A pescatarian’s delight of whitebait, salmon, fresh water trout and more, having taken very few hours to make the move from net to plate it defines fresh. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in this historic eatery is impossible to deny, with century-old photographs hanging on the walls, along with newspaper cuttings detailing how Charles de Gaulle stopped by whilst on honeymoon in the 1920s. Clearly, the French leader knew where to grab a good bite.
One hour or so’s drive away, at Italy’s most famous lake, Como, the sense of slowing down the pace of life, and relishing in your surrounds is even more profound. Here we pay a visit to the majestic 18th Century summerhouse, Villa Carlotta, and learn the tragic story of its young namesake, who died aged just 23. Her room is still preserved as it may have been back then, adding impact to the tale. Elsewhere, Romanesque statues occupy entire rooms, and, stretching back from the building itself, acres of green space, complete bamboo garden and a creek nestled in thick woods, confirm the status and wealth of the commissioning family.
Ultimately, though, like a Maggiore on gold-leaf opium, Como is all about indulgent relaxation. Far fewer buildings break the shoreline, and the majority of those that do come in a traditional Italian aesthetic or chic contemporary styling. It’s not hard to see why this has become a firm favorite with the super-rich. An afternoon spent gorging on five courses- from beef fillet to baby octopus- at the Hotel Britannia, before allowing the food to settle at the address’ own lido, the only one floating on Como, confirm what the biggest selling points are- the ability to do nothing, and still be blown away by the ambience and natural beauty.
A boat ride around some of the harder to reach spots- many accessible only from the water- reveals myriad residences that can’t help but drop jaws. Whilst the palatial piles on Maggiore’s Isola Bella and Madre represent a point in history when money really could buy you anything (like a private island, and the kind of ornate detailing on a building that would put the Houses of Parliament to shame), one of the most staggering aspects here is the fact many of the villas on show aren’t tourist attractions, but lived-in residences. Even if that is only for a few months in the calendar.
Ultimately, then, it’s difficult not to fall in love whilst visiting either lake. And although it would help if you were here with someone to fall for, even the solitary traveller will feel an ache in their heart as they reminisce on time spent in and around these veritable jewels in Italy’s crown. If there was ever a list of the most serene and breathtaking locations to float upon, then we have two contenders for the throne. Take that as a promotion, take it as a recommendation, either way take it as the truth; hence the reason we find ourselves returning, year-on-year, like so many foreign visitors, keen to get lost in a magnificent milieu omnipresent in every direction.
Getting there
Tui Lakes & Mountains (https://www.tui.co.uk/holidays/lakes-and-mountains; 020 8939 0740) offers a week's stay at Lake Maggiore Hotel Regina Palace prices from £1083 per person (based on two sharing) – half board - Lake Como Hotel Grand Cadenabbia from £849 per person (based on two sharing) – all inclusive price including flights from Gawick and transfers.
Direct flights available from all major UK airports and direct Dublin flights.
