A Tranquil Resort Town In Northern Italy Is Known For Lakeside Charm And Alpine Views

Italy's Lago Maggiore, a less-crowded alternative to Lake Como, definitely has the scenery to rival its more famous counterpart. Backed by the snow-capped Alps, its shoreline is dotted with picturesque villages, among which Stresa may be the fairest of them all. Located on the lake's southwestern shore, the town faces the three tiny Borromean Islands — Isola Bella, Isola dei Pescatori, and Isola Madre — each with its own distinct personality and history. 

Once a tiny fishing village, in the early 20th century Stresa blossomed into a luxurious resort town and a playground for the rich and famous, including George Bernard Shaw, J.D. Rockefeller, Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin, Princess Margaret, and Ernest Hemingway (more on him in a bit). Today, Stresa remains a vibrant European destination for summer travelers, catering to luxury travelers along with those on a more modest budget. With its colorful Belle Epoque and Art Nouveau architecture, elegant restaurants serving fresh, local cuisine, lovely lakefront promenade, and slow pace of life, Stresa is easy on the soul as well as on the eyes — a perfect setting for some serious relaxation. 

If you want to splurge a little, book a room at the town's most famous lakeside resort, the five-star Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées, where a double with a garden view will set you back around $300 per night in season. This was Hemingway's choice when he visited, and he was apparently so enamored with the hotel that it makes an appearance in his novel, "Farewell to Arms." For a special price (inquire with the hotel), guests can stay in Hemingway's very own suite: an exercise in opulence with two bedrooms, a living room, studio, three bathrooms, and a terrace with a spectacular view of the deep-blue lake. 

But not all lake views come with a hefty price tag. Plenty of reasonably priced accommodations in Stresa are available on sites like Booking.com, such as the highly rated La Mansarda, where a one-bedroom apartment in Stresa with a fabulous lake view costs around $220 per night, or Le Camere Della Vecchia Osteria guest house, which is around $150 and also boasts high ratings and lake views. For a more intimate setting, guests can opt to stay on one of the Borromean Islands just offshore from Stresa. Hotel Verbano on Isola dei Pescatori, for example, offers rooms with fireplaces and private terraces overlooking the lake for under $200 per night.

Stresa is the ideal setting for the Italian evening ritual known as la passegiata. This basically just means walking just for the sake of walking, without a particular destination in mind. And in Stresa there's no better place to do this than the stately tree-lined promenade along the town's waterfront, which boasts stunning views of the lake, islands, and mountains as well as some of the gorgeous villas and hotels. Don't forget to stop and get a requisite gelato along the way. 

After walking southeast around 1.4 miles from town along the promenade, you'll arrive at the Villa Pallavicino, a 19th-century neoclassical villa with beautifully manicured gardens and a small zoo — well worth taking the time to visit. Another great place to stroll is right around the main square, Piazza Luigi Cadorna, where you can shop to your heart's content for souvenirs, clothes, jewelry, and local wines and other products. If more rugged walking is what you're after, plenty of hiking trails wind through the hills above Stresa, some with incredible panoramic vistas. Meanwhile, those who prefer to rest their legs can take a boat ride to visit the enchanting Borromean Islands or to nearby towns that are also on the lake, such as Baveno or Intra.