Il Lake Maggiore in spring it is a wonder of colours, nature and experiences to be had on itineraries on foot or by bike.
Flowers of a thousand colors, heady scents, breathtaking views, verdant forests and snow-capped peaks reflected in crystalline lakes. A painting that tells of spring in Upper Piedmont in uncontaminated nature, where you can discover picturesque villages and outdoor routes.
We are in the Ossola Lakes, Mountains and Valleys Tourist District, the ideal destination for a spring escape full of rest and adventure.
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Trip to Lake Maggiore in spring, what to do and the most beautiful itineraries
A territory that is not only to be admired, but is a work of art to be experienced in a responsible and sustainable way. On blue waters of Lake Orta navigates a new concept of tourism, which invites you to discover its shores in a slow and green way. Boats, canoes and bicycles glide silently, leaving trails that dissolve like delicate brush strokes on the crystalline water, beneath whose surface a very rich biodiversity is hidden.
Mirrors of water framed by panoramic paths, which accompany walkers and explorers to discover their riches. Itineraries like the Grand Tour del Lago d’Orta (GTLO), which winds like a continuous brushstroke for 115 km, crossing lush vineyards, verdant woods and crystal-clear streams, leading the hiker into the thousand-year history of the villages that dot the route. Each of the 5 stages is a new painting to admire, an experience to be lived at a slow pace, in harmony with nature. A journey that continues with the newborn Grand Tour of Lake Maggiore (GTLM): a 230 km route, presented on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the section’s foundation Verbano Intra of the CAIwhich brings together and connects ancient historic streets, paths and pre-existing paths on the banks and hills along the second largest body of water in Italy.
Each step paints indelible memories in the mind of the traveller, in a union of art and nature which finds its synthesis in the itinerary of Painted Countrieswhere each village is a real open-air museum, described in the guide Lake D’Orta and its surroundingsi: Armeno, with its murals dedicated to local cuisine, Pogno, where water is the protagonist of the works of art, Legro (fraction of Orta San Giulio), with its murals dedicated to films set on Lake Orta, and Quarna Sopra, where the houses are decorated with local stories and legends. Among frescoes and murals, the visitor finds himself immersed in the works of painters and street artists, in a mosaic of which each work of art is a piece that invites you to explore and discover the authentic beauty of these places.
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Itineraries among the blooms of Lake Maggiore
In this impressionist painting that comes to life in spring, the scents of wild herbs mix with the crisp mountain air, while the spring sun illuminates the lakes, giving them iridescent reflections. Among the flowers that bloom like vibrant color spots, creating an unrivaled chromatic harmony, azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons, dahlias and many other floral varieties frame long relaxing walks and wellness breaks surrounded by greenery. A true spectacle of nature that can be admired on two wheels, along panoramic itineraries such as the Giro del Vergante, which passes through villages and hills in the “green heart” between Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore, or the Toce cycle pathparticularly in the stretch ‘cycling among the flowers’ or along the itinerary’by bike between the villages from DomodossolaVillage of Culture, in Vogogna, listed among the most beautiful villages in Italy.
In this context, it is impossible not to be enchanted by the ‘Festa delle Bulbose’, until April 21st in Verbania, a riot of colors and scents that will leave you breathless, or by the ‘Fiori d’Acqua’ event, again at the Botanical Gardens of Villa Taranto from June to September, where you can admire a rich collection of aquatic plants from all over the world. Also not to be missed is the 21st edition of Cactus Folies, in Villa Giulia in Verbania from 12 to 14 July, a market exhibition of rare and collectible succulent plants, and the Mountain Flower Festival in Riale on the weekend of 29 and 30 June, a unique opportunity to discover the rich botanical heritage of Val Formazza.
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The Valley of the Painters
In this painting, where nature is the absolute protagonist, impressionism mixes with futurism, designing new scenarios characterized by speed and movement. Renowned for its painted panoramas, so much so that it is nicknamed the ‘Valley of the Painters’, the Vigezzo Valley has so much to offer not only to art and culture lovers, but also to sports enthusiasts. The plateau with its extending cycle-pedestrian path from Druogno to Re invites to hiking or cycling, while the pine forest of Santa Maria Maggiore offers a pulsating green heart with paths for all levels, cycle paths, horse riding trails that are integrated into an offer that includes tennis courts, swimming pool, mini golf, archery spaces in a truly unique natural environment.
Outdoor sports and competitions
The white snow cover gives way to the green meadows in the ski resorts. Neveazzurra, which in winter brings together the stations of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola (Alpe Lusentino, Valle Formazza, Alpe Devero, Valle Divedro, Valle Antrona, Valle Anzasca, Valle Vigezzo and Mottarone), transforms in the summer into an outdoor sports paradise. open air, both for those looking for a truly active and regenerating experience and for families with children. The new colors blend with the dynamism also a Domobiancawhich announces the new trail for this summer Bike Parkan adrenaline-filled downhill route that will connect the arrival of the Prel chairlift to the Baita Motti refuge, while to the delight of the little ones the offer of games in the children’s park, with a tubbing track that will allow daredevil descents aboard rubber donuts. In the calendar of events not to be missed Salomon Vertical Racebeach volleyball tournaments, the Rally of the Ossola Valleys and the Valle degli Orti Fast.
In a futuristic framework, uncontaminated nature merges with the productions of human ingenuity, creating breathtaking scenarios. The mountain paths, which wind through lush forests and majestic mountains, are transformed into brushes that trace precise lines on the natural canvas. There Vibram Trail Mottaroneon 4 and 5 May, invites you to immerse yourself in this dimension, where every step of the runner is a splash of color and every panorama is a painting inspired by the beauty of the Piedmontese Alps, among the routes that lead up to Mottarone, starting from Baveno in Piazza Marinai d’Italia.
But the suggestions don’t end here. August 9th with Motty on the moon it is possible to have a running experience under the shooting stars, among the ups and downs of Mottarone, starting downstream from Bar Stazione. A unique opportunity to run among the glow of the moon and the lights of the city, immersed in a fairy-tale atmosphere.
Among the other challenges between lakes and mountains, it is impossible not to mention the 16th Lago Maggiore Half Marathon, on 28 April, from Stresa to Verbania and, on 2 June, the 48th edition of the Intrasca Valley Marathon, the mountain running race for couples with departure and arrival from Verbania Intra. And for the whole family, there is the Family Run on May 19th in Parco Pallavicino, a non-competitive race among 18 hectares of tree-lined avenues, waterfalls, flower beds and sounds of nature. An opportunity to have fun together and immerse yourself in the beauty of this fairy-tale site of the Terre Borromeo circuit.
Adventure parks
Between sensorial itineraries, evocative scenery and breathtaking views, the parks also represent the perfect synthesis between beauty and movement. An example is the Le Pigne Adventure Park in Ameno, located in a cool forest of chestnut, oak and fir trees on the green slopes of Lake Orta. In this splendid setting, you can rediscover contact with yourself participating in pilates classes and yoga sessions combined with gong baths and ‘Barefoot in nature’ sensory routes, with a panoramic view from the Giant Bench of Cima Monte Duno, while the little ones can try their hand, accompanied by a guide, on Tibetan and Nepalese bridges, lianas, orienteering routes and e-bike routes.
Fairytale scenarios for all ages even on the heights ofUpper Verbano in Trarego Viggiona, in the Wonderwood Adventure Park. Adventure courses for all levels with The Bridge and for the more adventurous the WonderFly cableway with 70 m of flight overlooking Lake Maggiore. There is no shortage of trekking routes that lead to the Big Bench of the Lake, the first giant bench on Lake Maggiore in the Monte Carza area, and a route for families: “Il Gruffalò, Nature Discovery”, a 2 km walk which, passing from the bench giant, allows children to play with nature.
From June, with special events and fun activities for the little ones, the Praudina Adventure Parkin the centuries-old pine forest of Santa Maria Maggiore in Vigezzo Valley, is another point of reference for a leisure experience in nature, with adventure trails and three ziplines among the spruce trees. From jumps to acrojump, to the climbing wall, toAquadventure Park in Baveno also an extraordinary flight show of birds of prey and nocturnal animals, with an informative tour of farm animals. Water and land also merge with a swimming pool area and the beach and, from April to October, also fun and adrenaline-filled suspended courses, sporting challenges and adventurous experiences for all ages.
Zipline on the Lake
For those who love speed in its maximum expression, the flying experience with the Lake Maggiore Zip Line, in Aurano, in the heart of Alto Verbano, looking at the lake at over 120 km/h from a 1850 meter long cable 350 meters from the ground. And for the little ones, a wooden balancing playground where magic and wonder mix: the Troll Bridge, inspired by the fairy-tale world of trolls. The heights of Stresa also allow an aerial zipline route for a full adrenaline and fun experience with a view of Lake Maggiore with the reopening of the Mottarone Adventure Park of the Terre Borromeo circuit. Among tree climbing, lianas, nets, bridges, walkways and inclined walls in the wonder of the woods, also a baby area for the brave little ones and a path Net Experiencewhere networks three meters high connect the trees to the houses set up on the pitches.
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