Between two lakes
The massif of Campo dei Fiori slightly slopes down to mirror into Lake Varese’s waters, in a foreground offered by the Alps and the sharply defined Monte Rosa.
LAKE VARESE
ALTITUDE
AREA
MAXIMUM DEPTH
A voyage of discovery of parks and nature reserves, monuments steeped in history and pre-historic findings.
Our itinerary moves from Sesto Calende, which built its success on the trades on river Ticino: the city is in fact located at the heart of Verbano’s hills, at the very point where the river exits from Lake Maggiore and starts its path to reach the waters of River Po. It is certainly worth visiting Museum Cesare da Sesto, the Oratory of S. Vincenzo (XI-XII century), the Abbey of S. Donato (IX-X century), the glacial erratic Preja Buia (with petroglyphs and cup marks), the Archaeological Civic Museum – the ‘centre of the civility of Golasecca’. From Sesto we leave for Lake Comabbio, around which a cycle path flows for almost 14 km, connecting with the cycle path around Lake Varese (almost 29 km) and boasting picturesque lake views up to the Alps (Monte Rosa): these are two of the numerous cycle paths in the Province.
Coasting around the lake, we reach Varano Borghi. At a short distance from here extends the Nature Reserve of Palude Brabbia, one of the major wetlands in Italy, nesting site of numerous species of sedentary or migratory birds. Cazzago Brabbia presents two ancient glaciers, typical of lakeside areas, and a small harbor. We may then move towards Biandronno, where we find an embarkation point for the Isolino Virginia, a small triangular shaped island that hosts one of the most important archaeological sites of European Pre-Historic times, and houses the most ancient settlement of lake dwellings in the Alpine arc; since 2011 the island is under UNESCO protection.
We then leave for Gavirate, situated on the Northern tip of the lake, known for the local sweet specialty “brutti e buoni” and for having been a place where Gianni Rodari and Guido Morselli also stayed, to whom a public park is dedicated. With a small detour, we may reach the beautiful Romanesque Cloister of Voltorre. At this point we may decide, coasting Monate’s lakeside, to visit Ispra -with its pleasant lakeside on Lake Maggiore and a view of restructured furnaces-, Ranco and Angera, the latter one an enchanting village overlooked by Rocca Borromeo, which was built in a dominant position over the lake’s waters. Rocca Borromeo hosts the collections of Museo della Bambola and Museo dell’Abbigliamento Infantile, exhibiting clothes and garments dating back to a period between XIX and the first half of the XX centuries.
image credits - riccardo lupo
Focus
Sesto Calende
- Active & Green
![Sesto Calende Sesto Calende: gateway at Lake Maggiore, along Ticino river](https://www.varesedoyoulake.it/sites/default/files/styles/card_h/public/focus/images/96829/6048/32301.jpg?itok=dC3LsIVL)
The Abbey of San Donato
- Religious Tourism
![The Abbey of San Donato Visit the Abbey of San Donato in Sesto Calende](https://www.varesedoyoulake.it/sites/default/files/styles/card_bg_h/public/luogo/images/96935/6099/33401.jpg?itok=jFvqDoaA)
Lake Comabbio
- Rivers
![Passerella del Lago di Comabbio Passerella in legno sul lago di Comabbio, con alberi sullo sfondo in una giornata di sole.](https://www.varesedoyoulake.it/sites/default/files/styles/card_bg_h/public/luogo/images/96967/7193/17020515master.jpg?itok=EcTQAyHG)
Brabbia Marsh
- Active & Green
![Brabbia Marsh Palude Brabbia: a protected area](https://www.varesedoyoulake.it/sites/default/files/styles/card_h/public/focus/images/96842/6070/36601.jpg?itok=TehG5rBB)
Prehistoric Alpine Stilt Houses
- Unesco Sites
![Palafitte Arco Alpino Palafitte Arco Alpino](https://www.varesedoyoulake.it/sites/default/files/styles/card_bg_h/public/luogo/images/96929/6084/palafitte_arco_alpino.jpg?itok=J6zGtJkA)
Lake Monate
- Rivers
![Lake Monate Lake Monate](https://www.varesedoyoulake.it/sites/default/files/styles/card_bg_h/public/luogo/images/96968/7196/lake_monate.jpg?itok=AUqo-NsQ)
The Cloister of Voltorre
- Art & Culture
![The Cloister of Voltorre The monastic art of The Cloister of Voltorre](https://www.varesedoyoulake.it/sites/default/files/styles/card_h/public/focus/images/96850/6082/36301.jpg?itok=Swb_iayx)
Ispra
- Rivers
![Ispra Ispra](https://www.varesedoyoulake.it/sites/default/files/styles/card_bg_h/public/luogo/images/96996/7192/ispra_view_lake.jpg?itok=N4YX5agv)
Angera and the Open Air Museum
- Art & Culture
![Angera and the Open Air Museum Visit Angera and surroundings: some tips](https://www.varesedoyoulake.it/sites/default/files/styles/card_h/public/focus/images/96840/6068/34402.jpg?itok=2MN4-fJa)
Angera
- Villages
![Angera Angera](https://www.varesedoyoulake.it/sites/default/files/styles/card_bg_h/public/luogo/images/96947/6125/angera_-_spiaggia_con_sdraio.jpg?itok=IZLZtm6d)
Angera municipial archaeological museum
- Art & Culture
![Civico Museo Archeologico di Angera Civico Museo Archeologico di Angera](https://www.varesedoyoulake.it/sites/default/files/styles/card_bg_full_h/public/luogo/images/97015/6235/zai_3830aww.jpg?itok=vg4LL7Do)
Rocca Borromeo
- Art & Culture
![Rocca Borromeo Rocca Borromeo](https://www.varesedoyoulake.it/sites/default/files/styles/card_bg_h/public/luogo/images/96936/6101/id261_rocca-borromeo_angera_01_fotolia.jpg?itok=bQpVmVbS)
Necropoli di Caravate
- Art & Culture
![Necropoli di Caravate Necropoli di Caravate](https://www.varesedoyoulake.it/sites/default/files/styles/card_bg_h/public/luogo/images/96944/6115/varese_caravate_necropoli_cciaava.jpg?itok=EKYQH4HZ)
Gavirate
- Villages
![Gavirate Gavirate](https://www.varesedoyoulake.it/sites/default/files/styles/card_bg_full_h/public/luogo/images/97102/6368/lago-varese-gavirate-marco-guariglia_13.jpg?itok=L7XIb7Q5)
Biandronno
- Villages
![Biandronno Biandronno](https://www.varesedoyoulake.it/sites/default/files/styles/card_bg_h/public/luogo/images/97103/6365/biandronno.jpg?itok=vjohnzh1)