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Stresa

The small and pretty town of Stresa, today one of the most popular resorts on the shores of Lake Maggiore in Piedmont, northern Italy, originated as a tiny fishing hamlet first mentioned in records in 998AD. By the fourteenth century Stresa's population had grown sufficiently for it to be officially recognised as a village and gained the right to hold a weekly market; a tradition still upheld in the town each Friday morning.

2 results matching: Journey to Stresa

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Lake Orta
Last-Minute Deals
4.1 stars(33 reviews)
2023AugSepOct
8 days from
£1,099 pp £999 pp
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Last-Minute Deals
8 days from
£1,099
£999
per person
View Details
tour map
  • DestinationItaly
  • Starts / EndsSt Pancras International
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
Lake Maggiore
Last-Minute Deals
4.4 stars(48 reviews)
2023AugSepOct
8 days from
£1,249 pp £1,149 pp
View Details
Last-Minute Deals
8 days from
£1,249
£1,149
per person
View Details
tour map
  • DestinationItaly, Switzerland
  • Starts / EndsSt Pancras International
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
Our customers love our Stresa tours
Lake Maggiore
11/May
S Chaplin
5 stars
“We thoroughly enjoyed our trip, both of the hotels that we stayed in were very good and breaking the journey in Mulhouse worked perfectly. The hotel in Stresa was particularly good with friendly staff and a breakfast buffet that was simply superb. The group size of 10 plus our wonderful tour manager Yasmin was perfect and we met some lovely people. Stresa is a great place to stay with plenty to do on our free day without having to travel anywhere which made for a nice relaxing day. The trips out each day were all really interesting and the places we went to were beautiful but the day out to Lake Como was hampered by heavy traffic on the way there plus roadworks which made our coach journeys a lot longer than they should have been. We think that this needs to be changed for future trips. The trip on the Centovalli railway was great and the cruise back on Lake Maggiore from Locarno on the ferry was a highlight of the trip for us. On a practical note, all of the train journeys and connections worked well which was helpful in view of the number of changes needed to get from St Pancras to Stresa, and we were extremely lucky with the weather - blue sky and warm sun every day we were there.
Collected by Trustpilot
The Best of the Italian Lakes
21 Oct 2022
Alan Davies
4 stars
“Terrific tour, which delivered what it said on the tin. Good points : Train journeys through France & Switzerland on outward and return journeys were a bonus, as was the additional night in Lille. Wonderful location for our Hotel, on the lakeshore, with stunning views thanks to general upgrade. Lovely trips by boat on several of the Ialian (and one Swiss) Lakes. Great Tour Leader, and nice bunch of fellow holiday-makers. Less good points : Some daily itineraries were too long and tiring - with early starts and/or late finishes. Too much use of coaches rather than local trains. Hotel food average.
Collected by Trustpilot

Stresa's idyllic location on Lake Maggiore overlooking the island Isola Bella and providing magnificent views of the lake's surrounding hills had already secured the town's popularity with European aristocracy as a holiday retreat, but the opening of the Simplon Pass between Brig, Switzerland and Piedmont in 1806 boosted Stresa's tourism further still. Consequently many beautiful villas and grand hotels were constructed at the beginning of the nineteenth century and by the twentieth the now well-established resort was welcoming prestigious guests such as George Bernard Shaw, Ernest Hemingway, Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin and Princess Margaret.

Today, although a highly popular Italian resort, Stresa remains small enough to explore on foot, rewarding visitors with medieval buildings, opulent and historic villas, public gardens and several museums. During the summer, the Stresa to Mottarone cable car ascends to the summit of Mount Mottarone from which unparalleled panoramic views across the Po Valley to the Alps are obtained.

Villa Taranto Gardens

Established in 1940 by Captain Neil McEarcharn, Villa Tarantino's large, landscaped gardens lovingly recreate the style of an English garden and features beautifully maintained lawns, flower gardens - including the spectacular Dahlia Garden which showcases over three hundred species, a water-lily pond, waterfalls, fountains and sculptures.

Stresa Market

Held in Piazza Capucci each Friday morning Stresa's colourful market is the perfect place in which to buy delicious local produce including salami, smoked meats and sausages, fresh blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, honey, jams and cheese.

Villa Ducale

Built in 1770 by a rich tobacco merchant, Villa Ducale has a rich history. Bequeathed to the philosopher Antonio Rosminiin 1848 the villa later became the preferred holiday residence of the Duchess of Genova whose daughter, Margherita, became the first Queen of Italy. Today the restored villa is notable for its beautiful architecture and décor, its library of more than 100,000 books and its extensive Italian gardens which feature exotic plants and flowers.

Isola Bella

An enjoyable ten-minute boat ride from Stresa, the small lake island of Isola Bella is entirely occupied by the magnificent castle-like palace and stunning terraced gardens created by the wealthy Borromeo family in the seventeenth century.

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