Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Verbania Tourist Office
( 0323 50 32 49;
www.verbania-turismo.it
;
Corso Zanitello 6-8; 9am-1pm Mon-Fri)
Located on the Verbania Pallanza waterfront, this office has accommodation details and a
range of brochures. Opening hours were in a state of flux at the time of writing.
Getting There & Away
BOAT
Ask at the boat landing for various deals on ferry and hydrofoil tickets for market days in
the lakeside towns. Otherwise, a hop-on-hop-off round trip taking in Isola Madre, Isola
Superiore, Isola Bella and Stresa costs €16.50. Further afield, one way/return tickets to
Cannobio cost €6.50/12.50.
CAR
Verbania Pallanza is on the S34 that runs along Lake Maggiore's western shore.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Ghiffa
The main (some would say only) reason for stopping in Ghiffa, a blip of a village 4km
northeast of Verbania, is to make a pilgrimage 3km inland and uphill (by road - a stone-
paved walking trail is a little shorter and steeper) to the
Sacro Monte della Santissima Trinità
.
This holy mount was laid out in the mid-17th century but apparently was not completed.
The lovely tree-filled sanctuary, including its church and a couple of chapels (not to men-
tion the handy restaurant), is sited within a small nature reserve and provides a balcony
view over Lake Maggiore below (albeit partly obscured by the thick foliage). One chapel
on the walking path (about 100m away) was completed but, presumably, a series of them,
running all the way downhill, was originally planned.
Hikers have plenty of paths to choose from around here. The Via delle Genti, an histor-
ic walking path that has connected Switzerland and northern Italy via the St Gotthard pass
for centuries, passes by here (it's almost a 1½-hour walk to Verbania). Other signed walk-
ing paths abound - for more information, ask at the Verbania tourist office (
Click here
)
.
