Food by the lake and in the mountains

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Details

Price	starting from € 267,00
Length	5 days

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Contacts

Sapori d'Italia Incoming
Tel. +39.0323.31598
Fax +39.0323.932574
Email: saporiditalia@stresa.it Send message

Choose this tour if you want to delight your palate and discover ancient local recipes, as you travel from the lake to the Alps tasting local foods and products. Excellent wines and tasty risottos will be prepared for you in the hills of Novara. Cheeses and game will delight you as you tour the Ossola Valleys and part of Switzerland. Heading back for Lake Maggiore, you will be served traditional fish-based dishes on Isola Pescatori and in the town of Stresa.

Day 1: Arrival in our hotel, check-in and evening meal.

Day 2: Piedmont's Plain: rice, gorgonzola and wine. After breakfast you will enjoy a welcome cocktail and a presentation of the excursion programme. We will then depart on our first outing to Piedmont's Plain, in the company of a tour leader. You will visit the birthplace of gorgonzola cheese, which is located in one of the most important rice producing areas in Italy. Here you will stop at a rice production centre where you will discover how much work goes in to one grain of rice. Our journey continues to Novara, where you will see the charming city centre, the cathedral of San Gaudenzio and many other historic buildings. After our guided city tour and some free time we will continue towards the hills of Novara, noted for their production of excellent wines. We will enjoy a wine tasting accompanied by a sample of some local specialities at a winery in Sizzano. After a day with such a pleasant variety of flavours, we return to the hotel.

Day 3: The Mountains of Piedmont: polenta and game. After a hearty breakfast we begin our excursion towards the mountains of Lake Maggiore accompanied by an expert local guide. Your destination today is the dramatic Painters Valley. At the town of Domodossola you will board the scenic Vigezzina train that will take you past vineyards and forests of chestnut trees to the town of Re. You are sure to be enchanted by this charming spot and by the Sanctuary of the “Madonna del Sangue”. We will savour a delicious lunch of local specialities: polenta and game.Our trip will continue by train through the “Centovalli” or “hundred valleys”, passing deep gorges, waterfalls, and crossing panoramic viaducts until we reach Locarno. After a visit to this charming little Swiss city and some free time we will return to the hotel.

Day 4: The Fish of Lake Maggiore. Today you will enjoy a wonderful guided tour of the Borromean Bay. During our cruise, one port of call will be the enchanting monastery of “Santa Caterina del Sasso” located on the opposite side of the lake. This is one of the most magical spots on Lake Maggiore, as the buildings of this complex seem to cling to the rocky cliffs above while commanding a breathtaking view over the entire lake. This stunning place will be unforgettable. We then continue to the Isola Bella, or “beautiful island”, where you will have time to visit the imposing baroque style palace and the marvellous Italian style gardens (palace and gardens are open from the end of March to the end of October). Finally, we will visit the Isola Pescatori, or “fisherman's island” where you will enjoy a delicious lunch of local fish specialities followed by the traditional lemon cake. After our fully guided excursion, we will return to Stresa in the afternoon where you will have some free time to explore this stylish town and admire the lovely lakeside promenade. We then return to our hotel.

Day 5: Farewell to Lake Maggiore, as we begin our journey home.

INCLUDED SERVICES
- 4 nights of half board accommodation in a good 3* hotel situated in a town on the lake
- welcome cocktail and presentation of the excursion programme
- 3 full-day guided tours
- 2 lunches (Santa Maria Maggiore and Pescatori Island)
- wine tasting with a sampling of local delicacies
- train transport on the Vigezzina train from Domodossola to Locarno
- boat cruise on Lake Maggiore