Departure point:    

Verbania-Suna (VB), Italy

How to get there:    

By train: Verbania-Pallanza station, Ferrovie dello Stato. Timetables: www.trenitalia.it; www.ffs.ch. By bus from the station leave buses for Verbania. Timetables: www.vcoinbus.it
By car: A26 motorway in direction of Gravellona Toce, exit for Baveno. Follow in direction Verbania S.P.167 up to Fondotoce, then S.S.34 del Lago Maggiore up to Cannobio.

General Description:    

Itinerary through the main town of Verbania, touching the major points of interest.

The route:    

The itinerary starts from the lakeside of Suna, a hamlet of Verbania, full of magnolias and privets, which offers a stunning view over the Gulf and the Borromeo Islands. By the lakeside is the church of San Fabiano, dating back from the 12th century, known for the presence of an engraving called “tavola mulino”, table mill. You will find in the nearby the church of Santa Lucia from the 16th Century. Continuing you will arrive in Pallanza with one of the most beautiful lakeside of Lake Maggiore, where you can admire the small island of the Isolino San Giovanni, part of the archipelago of the Borromeo Islands. Arturo Toscanini chose to live in this place for its peace and hospitality from 1927 to 1952. At the end of the lakeside is Villa Giulia, a beautiful 19th century villa, wanted in 1847 by Bernardino Branca, in the inside of the villa as well as in its park are organized exhibitions all year long. In the town center of Pallanza is the Landscape Museum, Museo del Paesaggio, housing collections of painting, sculpture, archeology and an interesting section on popular religiosity dedicated to votive. On the hill of  Castagnola, you will find Villa San Remigio, at the center of a large park and bounded south by the ancient Romanesque church of San Remigio. Back on the cycling path along the lake, you will reach Villa Taranto whose beautiful and worldwide famous gardens need a few hours visit.
Leaving Villa Taranto, still along the lake, you reach Intra, lively touristic town center with many accommodations and services, which owes its name to the close location of the two torrents San Bernardino and San Giovanni. Intra still has today some traces of its medieval origins along the main streets, like via San Vittore, that from the lakeside leads to the church of the same name, with paintings from the 15th and 16th Century; Via San Fabiano leading to piazza Castello; and vicolo del Freschetto, leading to the beautiful square of piazza San Rocco. The new harbor is a departure point for Italian and Swiss destinations on the Lake Maggiore.
With a deviation conducting you away from the main itinerary and leading to the inner boundary of Pallanza, you can reach the church of Madonna di Campagna, in Renaissance style, built on an old Romanesque construction, of which is just remaining now the bell tower and some traces of walls.

Useful information:    

The Landscape Museum housing an important section on popular religiosity detached in Palazzo Biumi Innocenti. For information: Fondazione P.G.R.: www.pergraziericevute.it
To reach other Italian and Swiss destinations on th lake Maggiore
Navigazione Lago Maggiore - www.navigazionelaghi.it