Another wonderful resource of Piedmont are its lakes. Lago Maggiore (Lake Maggiore) and Lago d’Orta (Lake Orta) have had the fortune of receiving elite tourists for centuries. Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori make up the small archipelago of the Isole Borromee (Borromean Islands).
Also on Lake Maggiore are the ruins of the Castles of Malpaga in Cànnero, vestiges of distant epochs. On the charming Isola di San Giulio, of Lake Orta, stands an imposing basilica from the 4th century. For these two lakes the Regione organizes two music festivals at the end of the summer every year: the Festival Cusiano di Musica Antica (ancient music festival) and the Settimane Musicali (weeks of music) of Stresa.
The Festival dei Laghi will also be held, with dance performances in the gardens of the historic dwellings on Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta. The local crafts here also carry old traditions onward. In Gignese, not far from Stresa, a Museo dell’Ombrello (Umbrella Museum) celebrates this local handicraft. The flower-growing business, which has one of its most flourishing locations on Lake Maggiore, is almost a thousand years old. In fact, the ancient Romans had the most beautiful roses sent from there.
Further west are the Lakes of Viverone, Candia and Avigliana, less famous though worth discovering. The prized DOC wine, Erbaluce di Caluso, is made in the area around the Lake of Candia and extolled in the Regional Wine Cellar of the Serra, in Roppolo.
Another wonderful resource of Piedmont are its lakes. Lago Maggiore (Lake Maggiore) and Lago d’Orta (Lake Orta) have had the fortune of receiving elite tourists for centuries. Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori make up the small archipelago of the Isole Borromee (Borromean Islands).