Marion Ainge relives a school trip memory and reveals one of Italy’s best kept secrets in her tour of Lake Maggiore and the Italian Lakes.
I was 12 and on a school trip to Switzerland. It was my first time abroad.
We sailed from Harwich to the Hook of Holland. Our train journey followed the course of the Rhine, past the Lorelei Rock where a siren’s song lured sailors to their deaths in the river. We glimpsed the cathedral as the train passed through Cologne, then Strasbourg and finally arrived at our hotel overlooking Lake Lucerne.
It was exciting to sleep under a ‘continental quilt’ for the first time and to eat a breakfast of hot bread rolls, cheese and ham. I was told off by teachers for talking to boys on a school trip from Pembrokeshire who were staying in the adjoining hotel. We played cards and board games at the hotel in the evenings. On a day out in Zurich I bought a little musical box for my granddad. When I re-read my 30-page (including pictures) hand-written project book about the trip, I spotted a photo of myself on the Matterhorn’s nursery slopes. This book was my first real attempt at writing.
Decades later, now as grandma of four under-12s, on a Riviera Travel escorted solos’ tour around the Italian Lakes, I’m retracing my steps as the trip includes a day in Zermatt.
From Milan airport, we travel by coach to our base, the rather grand, opulent Simplon Hotel set in centuries-old, extensive Mediterranean gardens, just minutes from the western shores of Lake Maggiore. in Baveno. Piedmont. The interior design is ornate, the furnishings high quality and tasteful. Baveno is a charming, relaxed little lakeside town, with Roman origins and pink granite quarries. It faces the dreamy Borromean Islands and is sheltered by forest-clad hills.
Tourist boats line the waterside and there’s a colourful weekly market. Take-your-breath-away views set the scene, leaving us open-mouthed for the whole week. The Piedmont climate is warm and temperate with frequent short showers which nurture and maintain the lush green vegetation.
The Borromean Islands are owned by the Italian aristocratic house Borromeo, acquired in the 16th century. It’s no mean feat escorting around our all-female group of 25, but friendly, experienced guide Lorenza starts by getting us all aboard the boat from Baveno to Isola Bella. The island rests in the Borromean Gulf and is divided between the palace and a small fishing village. World-famous for its pristine, Baroque-style Italian gardens, the majestic Palazzo Borromeo boasts terrazzo floors, frescoes, hand-painted walls and domed ceilings.
From here, it barely takes five minutes to arrive at Isola dei Pescatori, fishermen’s island. This little jewel is actually fish-shaped and is a miniature 100 metres by 350 metres with a population of just 50, plus several peacocks, pheasants and parrots. For lunch, two of us find a family trattoria squeezed tightly into the side of a tiny street. On many of the houses, we see fishing nets draped over wide balconies to dry.
Sited just on the edge of the Swiss border is the enchanting little town of Cannobio. Paintbox-hued houses and colour-splashed cafes and restaurants line the lake front. It’s classy and unspoilt. We stroll along the waterside and walk up to the old town through the myriad of cobbled back alleys. The beach, arguably the best in the area, is a haven for water sports enthusiasts. A sailing school offers windsurfing and kite-surfing lessons.
In contrast, glamorous Lake Como is the favourite of the rich and famous. The third largest island, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore, it has a dramatic landscape and lies at the foot of the Alps in Lombardy. It’s a place to see and be seen. George Clooney has a villa here – I wonder if he offers his guests a Nespresso! Other celebrities linked with Lake Como include Madonna, Richard Branson, Sylvester Stallone and Taylor Swift. Private helicopter tours, luxury yacht charters and Ferrari/Lamborghini rentals are commonplace. Even the crystal-clear waters of Lake Como glitter in the sunlight.
But I’d happily trade Lake Como’s glitz and pizazz for the captivating charm of one of Italy’s best kept secrets, Lake Orta. Nestling in the north west eastern corner of Piedmont, the mini town of Orta San Giulio is surrounded by mountains and has yet to feature on the tourist maps. The beauty of Lake Orta has inspired poets and writers for centuries. Ice-cream-coloured buildings of pistachio, strawberry and lemon line the little harbour. Everything here is piccolo. Doll-sized shops, step-aside narrow back alleys and little squares. Cafes and restaurants clamour for space as they spill out onto terraces. It’s enchanting.
Five minutes across the lake is San Giulio, which is dominated by the Romanesque Basilica, the Bishop’s Palace, and the Benedictine Abbey or Convent. Legend has it that the island was once a bare rock inhabited by snakes and terrible monsters until the year 390, when San Giulio crossed the lake on his cloak in a storm and founded a church. Known as the Island of Silence, the community of nuns live in the cloistered convent and follow a daily routine of prayer and study. They also restore ancient tapestries. Silently, we walk along the winding, narrow path, known as the ‘way of silence and meditation, around the building, hearing only birdsong.
From Baveno, a three-and-a-half-hour coach journey takes us to the Simplon Pass, across the border to Switzerland and the charming, alpine ski resort of Zermatt. Situated in southern Switzerland’s Valais canton, this famous mountain resort is known for its skiing, climbing and hiking. At an elevation of around 1,600 metres, Zermatt lies below the iconic, pyramid-shaped Matterhorn peak. There are public outdoor rinks for ice skating and curling.
We stroll through picture-perfect, car-free Bahnhofstrasse, the old town’s main street lined with boutique shops, hotels, cafes, restaurants, chocolate shops and tempting bakeries. I stop for a coffee and piece of apple strudel. It’s a sunny day but the summit of the Matterhorn is veiled in cloud. I have a photo taken with the Matterhorn behind me which, for posterity, will have a place in my school project book.
Tell me more about this magical tour of Lake Maggiore and the Italian Lakes
Riviera Travel offers coach tours to Lake Maggiore, Orta & Como for solo travellers from £2,399 pp. Departs 15/05/25 from Heathrow or Manchester
T: 01283 523431
