'Relaxed' Destination on Lake Maggiore?
Discussion
Afternoon all, I'll try to keep this brief.
My wife and I have recently returned from a trip to Domaso on Lake Como. We stayed here as much by accident as design; it was reasonably priced for high summer, the hotel had good reviews and being at the Northern end of the lake suited our arrival by car via Switzerland.
We then found we enjoyed it greatly. Domaso itself has a couple of hotels and a few campsites so the whole feeling is really relaxed. We strolled on the excellent lakeside path to Gravedona which was charming but again relatively quiet. The hotel was right on the lake, there was always space on the pebble / grass 'beach.'
We did visit Varenna and found this to be enjoyable for an evening, but felt heaving in comparison and full of more Brits and Americans after the perfect Instagram shot compared to the majority Dutch / German guests in Domaso. We both said we were lucky to end up staying somewhere that suited us better.
We enjoyed it so much we are already thinking about going back - but we usually like to visit different places; after all you're only here once!
To that end, has anyone been anywhere similarly 'relaxed' (does anywhere similar exist?) on Maggiore, or for that matter on any other Italian Lake? I have a guide book but this seems to, understandably, focus on the picture-perfect places like Varenna and Como itself. Domaso and Gravedona hardly get a mention, it was only that I chanced across the hotel on Booking.com.
Thanks in advance for any help, and apologies for asking such a vague question, after all one man's relaxed is probably another's unbearably busy.
My wife and I have recently returned from a trip to Domaso on Lake Como. We stayed here as much by accident as design; it was reasonably priced for high summer, the hotel had good reviews and being at the Northern end of the lake suited our arrival by car via Switzerland.
We then found we enjoyed it greatly. Domaso itself has a couple of hotels and a few campsites so the whole feeling is really relaxed. We strolled on the excellent lakeside path to Gravedona which was charming but again relatively quiet. The hotel was right on the lake, there was always space on the pebble / grass 'beach.'
We did visit Varenna and found this to be enjoyable for an evening, but felt heaving in comparison and full of more Brits and Americans after the perfect Instagram shot compared to the majority Dutch / German guests in Domaso. We both said we were lucky to end up staying somewhere that suited us better.
We enjoyed it so much we are already thinking about going back - but we usually like to visit different places; after all you're only here once!
To that end, has anyone been anywhere similarly 'relaxed' (does anywhere similar exist?) on Maggiore, or for that matter on any other Italian Lake? I have a guide book but this seems to, understandably, focus on the picture-perfect places like Varenna and Como itself. Domaso and Gravedona hardly get a mention, it was only that I chanced across the hotel on Booking.com.
Thanks in advance for any help, and apologies for asking such a vague question, after all one man's relaxed is probably another's unbearably busy.
I have a house near Belgirate, so have little experience of the hotels and guest houses.
Both Baveno and Cannero are indeed great. Cannobio, near Cannero, out of season is lovely but can get mobbed. Lesa, near Belgirate, is a lovely little village, with some good restaurants. Verbania and Arona are the big towns on the Italian side of the lake and are well worth visiting with decent old quarters and restaurants. The Swiss bits less so IMO.
On the other side of the lake, Anghera is a well sorted town with good bars and restaurants and not too resort-y. Luino, up beyond Laveno,(opposite Cannero and Cannobio) is a very pleasant town, too.
Take a peek at Lakes Orta and Mergozzo if you are thinking of AirB’nBs. Both are lovely smaller lakes but still handy for Maggiore. Orta S Guilio in particular is a lovely place to visit and Omegna at the northern tip of Lake Orta is another market town with good restaurants.
Both Baveno and Cannero are indeed great. Cannobio, near Cannero, out of season is lovely but can get mobbed. Lesa, near Belgirate, is a lovely little village, with some good restaurants. Verbania and Arona are the big towns on the Italian side of the lake and are well worth visiting with decent old quarters and restaurants. The Swiss bits less so IMO.
On the other side of the lake, Anghera is a well sorted town with good bars and restaurants and not too resort-y. Luino, up beyond Laveno,(opposite Cannero and Cannobio) is a very pleasant town, too.
Take a peek at Lakes Orta and Mergozzo if you are thinking of AirB’nBs. Both are lovely smaller lakes but still handy for Maggiore. Orta S Guilio in particular is a lovely place to visit and Omegna at the northern tip of Lake Orta is another market town with good restaurants.
Rich.H said:
Sounds like Cannero Riviera may fit the bill….a lovely little town on the northern part of the Lake a few km from Cannobio.
Can highly recommend the Park Hotel Italia
Rich
What Rich says.Can highly recommend the Park Hotel Italia
Rich
Was there in June this year , lovely place, will definitely be going back .
Also hotel Cannero worth a look.
I stayed in Stresa in 2004 with my mad ex-girlfriend, had a great time. It was all very relaxed. We did a week in a privately rented villa, then a week in a hotel whose name I forget but it was all very good.
She turned out to be a mentalist, but at the time we had a lovely holiday, would definitely recommend it, just not with her, LOL!
She turned out to be a mentalist, but at the time we had a lovely holiday, would definitely recommend it, just not with her, LOL!
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