Stresa, Italy

My first impression of Stresa, on the shore of Lago Maggiore, is that of a fairy tale come to life.  As soon as we arrived, we had lunch on the terrace with a view of the blue lake, the white castle on Isola Bella glowing in the afternoon sun, and hazy mountains beyond.  The weather was perfect, sunny and a breezy 70, and it was a magical setting.

Our day in Stresa was spent exploring the Borromean Islands by boat with our guide, Daniela. The first stop was Isola del Pescatore, “Fishermen’s island” (Daniela said that today “they only catch tourists”).  We arrived before it got too crowded, and enjoyed seeing the prettily colored buildings and narrow cobblestone lanes.  This island – as the name suggests – was home to a couple hundred local fishermen as late as the 1970s, but today has just a handful of residents, none of whom fish full time.  The other Borromean islands still belong to the Borromeo family, who made their fortune in industry and banking beginning in the 14h century in Milan.  Today there are two main “lines” of the Borromeos – the prince and his family who reside on Isola Bella, and the count and his family, who reside on a private island not open to visitors.  

After a short boat detour to view the town of Pallanza on the opposite shore and the count’s private island, we headed to Isola Madre.  It was once home to olive and fruit groves, then developed by the Borromeos starting in the 1500s into a botanic garden island with various sections. The hotter, southern side is planted with succulents and tropical plants, while other sections are filled with camelias and azaleas.  There is a lovely villa, now a museum, with a spectacular Kashmir cypress in front – I’ve never seen anything like it, the foliage looked like hanging silk.  About 15 years ago a tornado toppled the tree, which was assumed a loss until the princess asked the master gardener to do whatever he could to save it, at whatever the cost.  The ensuing operation involved helicoptering in three cranes from a granite quarry in order to maneuver the tree upright and anchor it back in place with steel cables.  Amazingly, it survived!

We had espressos at the counter of the island’s little cafe, then set off for Isola Bella, starting with a circumnavigation by boat to appreciate the views from the water.  The Borromeos started developing this island in the 17th century, building an impressive palace and a tiered formal garden.  Parts of the palace interior were finished as late as the 1950s, and some of the planned features remain unbuilt – Daniela said she doesn’t think they ever will be.  The family spends the month of September in their private portion of the palace, and in fact we spotted the princess walking in the private gardens.

We came ashore and had a quick lunch at one of the three restaurants on the island (yes, also owned by the Borromeos) and then set off with Daniela for a tour of the palace.  I especially liked a series of flower paintings done on marble – apparently the artist only made these for the family – and a stunning table inlaid with a micromosaic featuring a basket of flowers and a cheeky little snail.  Another notable feature of the palace is the expansive grotto on the lower level, decorated from floor to ceiling with stone and lava rock to provide a cool respite.  There was even an indoor fountain, quite remarkable in a time before plumbing was common!

I’d considered going into the town of Stresa for dinner, but it seemed logistically challenging as taxis are few and we were advised against walking the curvy roads, which have no sidewalks or even shoulders for pedestrians.

Accordingly, we dined at the hotel, again on the terrace enjoying the cool evening.  I had prawns flambeed tableside (fun!), which we followed up by crepes suzette, again made tableside.  And we had a nice chat with some other guests, mostly English (Stresa is still less internationally known than Lake Como).

A short stay, but a very pleasant taste of the Borromean life!