Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
VISITING THE ISLANDS
Ferries chug to the Borromean Islands from Stresa (the main dock), Lido di Carciano (by the Stresa-Mottarone
cable car) and Verbania Pallanza. Services connect them all but more regular half-hourly runs connect Stresa,
Isola Bella, Isola Superiore and Baveno. If you plan to visit all three islands from either Verbania or Stresa,
you're better off buying a day ticket for €16.50 - it's a round-trip ticket that includes stops in Verbania, Stresa,
Baveno and the three islands. More expensive one-day passes include admission to the various villas.
Sights
Palazzo Madre
( 0323 3 05 56; adult/child incl gardens €11/5.50, combined ticket with Isola Bella €18/8; 9am-6pm Mar-Oct)
The 16th- to 18th-century Palazzo Madre is a wonderfully decadent structure crammed
full of all manner of antique furnishings and adornments. Highlights include Countess
Borromeo's doll collection, a neoclassical puppet theatre designed by a sceno-grapher
from Milan's La Scala, and a 'horror' theatre with a cast of devilish marionettes.
PALACE
Isola Madre Gardens
( 9am-6.15pm)
The Isola Madre gardens are even more lavish than those of Palazzo Bor-
romeo on Isola Bella, although in June 2006 a freak tornado struck the island, uprooting
many of the island's prized plants. Nevertheless, this English-style botanic garden remains
full of interest, with azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, eucalypts, banana trees, hibiscus,
fruit orchards, an olive grove and much more.
Exotic birdlife, including white peacocks and golden pheasants, roam the grounds.
GARDEN
Isola Superiore (Pescatori)
Tiny 'Fishermen's Island,' with a permanent population of around 50, retains much of its
original fishing-village atmosphere. Apart from an 11th-century apse and a 16th- century
fresco in the charming Chiesa di San Vittore, there are no real sights. Many visitors make
it their port of call for lunch, but stay overnight and you'll fall in love with the place. Res-
taurants cluster around the boat landing, all serving grilled fish fresh from the lake (from
around €15). On some days in spring and autumn, abundant rainfalls can lift the lake's
level a fraction, causing minor flooding on the island. The houses are built with this in
