Stresa

Stresa's picturesque position at the foot of Mount Mottarone in front of the Borromeo Islands makes it a favorite tourist destination on Lake Maggiore. The many conferences and 'Musical Weeks' held each August and September attract visitors to this town that was described in glowing terms by writers like Stendhal, Dickens and Byron. The lovely Borromean Islands lie in the bay in front of Stresa. Isola Madre is home to rare plants, exotic flowers and many species of azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons that turn the island into an explosion of color and fragrance in spring. Isola dei Pescatori, or fisherman's island, is a small village of alleyways and simple houses in the center of the lake. Take a look at the 17th-century church of San Vittore or visit the famous Isola Bella with its magnificent Baroque palace and park, a masterpiece of Italian landscape gardening.