After breakfast at the hotel, we dedicate the day to visiting the famous Borromean Islands, a small archipelago that owes its fame to its three main islands: Isola Madre, Isola dei Pescatori (Fishermen’s Ile) and Isola Bella.
The first stop will be Isola Madre, the largest of the three and the most important island on Lake Maggiore. On the island is a 16th-century palace set in a magnificent English-style botanical garden dating back to the late 19th century. From Isola Madre one then goes to Isola dei Pescatori which is the only public island of the three and is also the only one permanently inhabited by a small community. Isola Bella, on the other hand, is famous for its paradisiacal Italian garden with the Teatro Massimo at its centre, composed of ten terraces forming a truncated pyramid adorned with statues and fountains; the scenographic layout is of rare beauty!
The garden and palace were commissioned by Count Vitalino Borromeo in 1650, but it took a good four centuries to transform a rock into the magnificent work we visit today. Return to the hotel in the late afternoon.
Overnight stay in Lake Maggiore at Hotel - 4* or similar.
Isola Bella