What to see in Stresa, Italy: villas, gardens and the quiet of Lake Maggiore

Stresa lies on the western shore of Lake Maggiore in Piedmont, where its deep blue waters meet the peaks of the Alps in a tranquil combination of beauty and grace.

Known for its Belle Époque-style hotels and flower-filled waterfront, the city has always attracted travelers seeking elegance and relaxation, and the offshore islands further accentuate its charm.

Looking for what to see in Stresa? Start with lakeside villas, terraced gardens, island palaces, and alpine vistas, all close enough to explore, all part of the same slow pace.

1. Silent elegance on the lakefront

Stresa’s lakefront is not made for haste. It is a strip of calm, where iron benches and flower beds line the shore and the water stretches in a soft, silvery light.

Locals read under the horse chestnut trees, couples stop by the railings, and just beyond appearsIsola Bella, with its Baroque palace and terraced gardens framed by palm trees and the Alps in the distance.

At the back stand the facades of Art Nouveau-style hotels. Among them, the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées stands out for its Belle Époque grandeur, a symbol of the city’s enduring grace.

2. The islands just beyond the shore

Just off Stresa’s lakefront, three islands emerge from the water, each with its own history, each forged over centuries of care and transformation. Together, they form the heart of the Borromean Gulf.

Isola Bella shines as a Baroque island-palace whose construction began in 1632. Its Borromeo Palace and ten terraced gardens, planted with camellias, citrus trees and white peacocks, were designed to impress the nobility. In particular, Napoleon is said to have visited there in 1797. And while the Stresa Conference was held on the mainland in 1935, the Borromeo family hosted delegates in their villas, including Isola Bella.

Isola Madre, the largest island, is home to an English-style botanical garden founded in the early 19th century. It boasts rare trees, such as a 200-year-old Kashmiri cypress, magnolias, proteas, bamboo groves and peacocks: their iridescent plumage flickers against the green, a living brushstroke on the lawns.

Fishermen’s Island, remains the only inhabited island. Its narrow alleys, stone cottages and drying nets tell of a bustling fishing village that still retains the rhythms of lake life.

Each island offers a different side of Lake Maggiore, and all can be reached by a short boat ride.

3. The timeless charm of Stresa’s grand hotels.

Stresa’s lakeside hotels have the elegance of another era, when steamships arrived with trunks and evenings began with a stroll and a piano sonata. Their Belle Époque grandeur still hovers in the gentle rustle of palm trees, the gleam of Murano chandeliers, the scent of polished wood, and manicured rose gardens.

The Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées, opened in 1863, stands like a palace on the shore. Hemingway stayed there after the war, Room 106 is now known as the Hemingway Suite, and later gave the hotel a place in Farewell to Arms. Inside, gilded mirrors and marble floors evoke a vanished world; outside, gardens slope toward the lake in quiet symmetry.

Just down Corso Umberto I, the Regina Palace Hotel stands behind wrought-iron gates and topiary-style swans. Opened in 1908, it welcomed royalty, diplomats and writers such as George Bernard Shaw, becoming a symbol of the golden age of European travel. Its salons still gleam with frescoes and crystal, and the terrace opens onto one of the city’s most enchanting views.

4. The historic heart of Stresa

Among the lesser-known but equally rewarding things to see in Stresa is its historic center, a quieter pace marked not by palaces and promenades but by local life.

Around Piazza Luigi Cadorna, stone facades meet the warmth of cafes and ice cream parlors, while nearby alleys such as Via Principe Tommaso and Via Roma offer storefronts filled with local wine, handcrafted leathers, and small artisan treasures.

Just beyond, the Church of Saints Ambrose and Theodulus stands with understated elegance. Designed by Giuseppe Zanoia in the late 18th century, its neoclassical lines frame marble altars, Baroque angels, and the relics of the young St. Vitalian. Under its dome, a painting by Morazzone still holds the quiet drama of Lombard spirituality.

5. The garden paradise of Villa Pallavicino

Among the most unexpected answers to what to see in Stresa is Villa Pallavicino, a 19th-century estate converted into a park that blends elegant landscapes and quiet wildlife encounters.

Shady paths and scenic views lead through nearly 20 hectares of lush vegetation, where native trees, exotic species and bursts of floral color meet under the watchful gaze of grazing deer and tranquil pink flamingos fording bodies of water.

It is a gentle, living landscape where time seems to slow down and every corner invites a longer walk.

6. The breathtaking views from Mount Mottarone

At nearly 1,500 meters above Lake Maggiore, Mount Mottarone offers sweeping views that reward every step or bend in the road.

Once accessible by cable car from Stresa, now closed since 2021, the summit can be reached by car or on foot, revealing a panorama that stretches across valleys, lakes, and sky.

On a clear day, the spectacle is breathtaking: as many as seven lakes shimmer below us, from Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta to smaller ones nestled in the surrounding valleys. Beyond, the Po Valley fades into the horizon, while the snow-capped Alps rise in silent majesty toward Switzerland and Piedmont.

These panoramic views remind you that what there is to see in Stresa is not just the lake: it is also in the heights, the silence, and the vastness of the surrounding landscape.

7. Beyond Stresa

Stresa is not just a lake town; it is a gateway. From here, Lake Maggiore reveals its most enchanting treasures: islands, gardens and hillside views that seem unchanged by time.

You may have already glimpsed the islands from the lakefront, but setting foot on them is a different story.

The Borromean Islands tour takes you to the heart of the lake, landing on each to reveal its layers up close, from the sculpted terraces of Isola Bella to the quiet rhythms of Isola dei Pescatori.

They are not just places to see. They are places to experience. Each island, hillside and floral panorama adds a piece to why Stresa is more than just a stop on the map.

Stresa, where every detail becomes a panorama

Stresa is not just entertainment. It does not rush or overwhelm. Rather, it offers something quieter and somehow more enduring.

A light on the lake that changes with the passing hours. The silence under the cedar trees. The delicate elegance of a grand hotel lobby, where time seems to flow differently. These are the things that stick with you, the kind of memories that carry a calmness of their own.

Of all the things to see in Stresa, Italy, perhaps the greatest gift is the lightness you take home: slower rhythms that linger long after you leave.