Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
lanza, the middle chunk, is the most interesting of the three, with a pretty waterfront and a
ferry stop.
Running north from Pallanza, the waterfront road, Via Vittorio Veneto, has a jogging
and cycling path that follows the lakefront, which is especially pretty around the little port
and the nearby Isolino San Giovanni, a wooded islet moored just off the shore. It connects
Pallanza with Villa Taranto and Verbania-Intra, which has handy car ferries to Laveno on
the lake's east bank.
Sights
Villa Taranto
( 0323 40 45 55;
www.villataranto.it
; Via Vittorio Veneto 111, Verbania Pallanza; adult/child €10/5.50;
8.30am-6.30pm; ; Villa Taranto)
Pallanza's highlight is the grounds of the late-19th-century
Villa Taranto. In 1931 royal archer and Scottish captain Neil McEacharn bought the
Normandy-style villa from the Savoy family after spotting an ad in the
Times
. He planted
some 20,000 species over 30 years, and today it is considered one of Europe's finest
botanic gardens.
The main entrance path is a grand affair, bordered by a strip of lawn and a cornucopia
of colourful flowers. Depending on when you visit, the experience will differ. The wind-
ing dahlia path, for instance, shows off blooms from more than 300 species from June to
October. In April and May, the dogwood and related flowers run riot. In the hothouses you
can admire extraordinary equatorial water lilies. The villa itself is not open to the public
as it houses the offices of the local prefecture. Boats stop at the landing stage in front of
the villa.
GARDEN
Museo del Paesaggio
( 0323 55 66 21;
www.museodelpaesaggio.it
;
Via Ruga 44, Verbania Pallanza; admission €5; 10am-noon &
3.30-6.30pm Tue-Sun)
Up the hill from the waterfront in Verbania Pallanza's old town, this en-
gaging museum is worth an hour of your time, with regional archaeology, sculptures and
paintings dominated by Lake Maggiore landscapes.
MUSEUM
Festivals & Events
Mostra Nazionale della Camelia
FLOWERS
