Lake Maggiore, its valleys and flowers at the World Nordic Ski Championships

We have great pleasure in inviting you on Wednesday 27th February, at 5 p.m. to the Palafiemme Press Centre at Cavalese for the presentation of "Lake Maggiore, its valley and flowers" with Guidina Dal Sasso, the winner of 5 editions of the Marcialonga and ambassador of Fiemme Worldwide Friends.
An aperitif with local products will follow.
Rsvp by February 26th: cell. 349 46667454 - info@lostudiovco.com

The flowers for the 156  bouquets to be used for the top three medal  winners in each of the 21 races of the World Nordic Ski Championships Trentino Fiemme 2013 will come from Lake Maggiore. The event will be held from 20th February to 3rd March. There will be shades of light or dark pink and white coming from camellias of the varieties “Donation”, “Debutante” and “Superba” as well as Skimmia Rubella and a heather of the variety “Erica Caniculata”. Thousands of camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons and other plants will decorate not only the race sites of Cavalese, Predazzo and Lake Tesero, but also the offices, welcome desks, Press Center and TV studios.

Already the official flowers at the last three editions of the Marcialonga, of the Turin Winter Olympic Games in 2006 and the Turin Winter University Games in 2007, these plants, whose origins lie in Japan and China, have been cultivated for 150 years in the Floricultural District of Lake Maggiore where the mild climate and  fertile soil created ideal conditions for their acclimatization.  In fact, the lake  is one  of  the largest area in Europe for the  cultivation of camellias, azaleas and  rhododendron with over 2  million plants sold  to European markets in 2012.  Today, the brand of the “Consorzio Fiori Tipici del Lago Maggiore” brings together the most important plant nurseries which, by respecting stringent rules of practice, guarantee the customer the highest quality of plants whilst paying due attention to the environment.

The combination of winter sports and flowers from Lake Maggiore is due to the fact that  these   plants can withstand low temperatures and  live a long time. To the Samurai of Ancient Japan, the winter-flowering camellia (which is where we get tea from) was a  symbol of eternity because  the plants themselves were considered to be immortal. The tradition of this specialist cultivation on Lake Maggiore  is linked to the tradition of noble villas and gardens, many of which are open to the public and receive visitors from all over the world.  Perhaps the most famous  is Villa Taranto  which, despite the damage done by a violent storm and gale-force winds in late August last year, and thanks to the generous donations of both private and public organizations and citizens, will be re-opening on 16th March this year. On the same date the sumptuous gardens of the Palaces of Isola Bella and Isola Madre near Stresa will also open for the summer season. 

The area around Lake Maggiore and nearby Lake Orta also holds surprises for mountain lovers as it boasts not only the alpine valleys and enchanting villages of the Ossola valley but also the possibility of wonderfulhikes in nature reserves such as the Valley Grande National Park, the biggest wilderness area o f the Alps. The hills and plains of the Province of Novara, by contrast, are witness to  a centuries-long production of rice and wine. New for this year is the Nordic Walking Tour which takes in 15 different communities in a total of 28 trails offering inspiring natural landscapes and interesting artistic monuments along with the chance of a variety of tastings in the local wineries.

There are also opportunities for water sports, winter sports, mountaineering, climbing, golf, mountain-biking, Nordic walking, running and trekking. The System of the Sacred Mounts, recognised as a UNESCO World heritage site, attracts pilgrims, art and nature lovers and the Adventure Park, Safari Park and  the “Ecomuseo” chain of  Local Heritage Museums provide fun for the whole family. Another dynamic sector is the wealth of opportunities offered to the business meeting, incentives and conference market: “Lago Maggiore Green Meetings” promotes events of low environmental impact,  events  that respect and conserve the quality of the surrounding environment and reduce the use of non-renewable resources.

Massimo Nobili, President of the Province of VCO and Guidina Dal Sasso, Provincial Councillor for Tourism,  Ambassador of Fiemme World Friends, cross-country ski champion and herself five-times winner of the Marcialonga, say: «With the flowers of Lake Maggiore, we hope to bring colour to this extraordinary sporting  event, hosted in an area which, like Lake Maggiore, has its strong point in the environment, nature and landscape. This  area  is enriched every time it becomes the background for great  achievements like those of the future champions  of  this World Championships».

The presence of “Lake Maggiore, its Valleys and Flowers” at the World Nordic Ski Championships Trentino Fiemme 2013 is the result of the collaboration between the Province of Verbano Cusio Ossola, the Chamber of Commerce of  Verbano Cusio Ossola and Novara, Stresa Town Council, the Consortium  “Fiori Tipici del Lago Maggiore” and with the support of the Promotional Tourist Boards of the “Distretto Turistico dei Laghi” and the ATL of  Novara.

Events calendar 2013:

 

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