The pearl of Lake Maggiore

Sparkling and elegant: the lineup of Stresa’s luxurious and comfortable hotels facing the lakeside promenade will soon include new and modern structures housed in historical buildings.

For centuries now, the “Pearl of the Lake” – this is how Stresa has been defined, thanks to its elegance – has been welcoming tourists from all around. A perfect mix of elegant homes, easy access to the Borromeo Islands and the Mottarone mountain, rail and lake connections, and a mild climate even during the winter months, have all made this small town famous, and have contributed to major changes which led to hosting the first Miss Italy contest way back in 1946. This event marked a strong desire for a period of rebirth following the Second World War.

What remains of the ancient “Strixia” are only memories and tales, yet today Stresa is the result of centuries of evolution. Able to fully satisfy the demands of a sophisticated clientele – posh restaurants, informal wineries, Italian-style pizza joints, top-end shops, impressive historical homes like the Villa Ducale and lush gardens like the Pallavicino park – Stresa is an attractive town that’s able to respond to the demands of constantly evolving tourism. Nature, beauty, elegance, leisure and a calm atmosphere are the ingredients that make this town so pleasurably interesting. Stresa is far from the hustle and bustle, but quite close to big shopping and cultural hubs like Milan, Turin, and Lugano in Switzerland; protected by the Alpine foothills, it offers quick access to the Alps and its valleys; facing the lake, it is still well-connected to the Piedmont hills and the land of wine and truffles, passing through the heart of the region’s rice fields.