1Day 1 Lago Maggiore

Note: We recommend bringing a packed lunch or independently booking a restaurant on Isola dei Pescatori, where the lunch break will take place.

Note: Access to the Hermitage of Santa Caterina involves climbing about 80 steps, so comfortable shoes are recommended.

The guided tour to discover the pearls of Lake Maggiore will be a true journey to another era, through the splendor of the Lombard Baroque period, the natural and wildlife wonders of the gardens, and the extraordinary architecture of the Borromean Islands: Isola Bella, Isola Madre, and Isola dei Pescatori. Nestled on Lake Maggiore, the Borromean Islands have been transformed over the years by the Borromeo family, who acquired them when they were nothing more than rocks, and turned them into a true paradise. During the day, we will visit the three islands and the Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso in Leggiuno, navigating the waters on a private motorboat reserved exclusively for Milanoguida.

Isola Bella is known for being visited and admired by Napoleon Bonaparte, whose first wife fell in love with these fairy-tale places and proposed purchasing them. The guided tour will begin with the rooms of the magnificent Borromeo Palace, a treasure chest of wonders: Flemish tapestries, paintings by the greatest artists of the time, marble, stuccoes, sculptures, and precious furniture are just some of the priceless jewels you will encounter in the Berthier Gallery, the room where Napoleon and his consort stayed, the grottoes so loved by the writer Stendhal, and the Ballroom. You will then stroll through one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe, filled with exotic plants and culminating in an amphitheater adorned with statues that hosted the scenic performances so loved by the Borromeos.

The only inhabited island of the archipelago today is Isola dei Pescatori, which hosts a small and characteristic village composed of narrow and lively streets, a church, artisan shops, and a beautiful tree-lined belvedere from which you can admire one of the most beautiful views of Lake Maggiore during the lunch break on the island.

The guided tour of Isola Madre will lead you to discover the immense and scenic 8-hectare English garden where beautiful white peacocks roam freely. You will be enchanted by the scents and colors of magnolias, bamboos, pergolas of wisteria and citrus, water lilies, and lotus flowers. The afternoon will continue in the Palace, a suggestive reorganization realized with furniture, porcelains, and paintings from various residences belonging to the Borromeo family, before proceeding with our mini cruise on Lake Maggiore towards the Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso, perched on the opposite shore of the lake. This is a place of mystical and spiritual retreat characterized by an almost unique architectural structure resulting from the fusion of pre-existing chapels. The hermitage is decorated with fresco cycles from the 15th and 16th centuries depicting the stories of Saint Catherine, the Saints, and the Crucifixion. From the Renaissance porticoes hanging over the rock cliff on the lake, you can enjoy an unmissable ecstatic view.

The guided tour of the pearls of Lake Maggiore, the Borromean Islands, and the Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso, will be an unforgettable experience among the riches, colors, and fairy-tale landscapes of these unique places.