Days out

Varese itself

The Sacro Monte (UNESCO) and Campo dei Fiori, Corso Matteotti and the pedestrian streets around it, Villa Toeplitz and Villa Panza.

Lake Maggiore

We always take our friends to the Isole Borromee, catching the public ferry from Stresa — have a wander around the small pedestrian area there too. We prefer the public boat to the water taxis, though that is very much a personal preference. People who have already seen Lake Como usually tell us they far prefer this experience.

Closer and easier to reach, but every bit as striking, is the Eremo di Santa Caterina del Sasso. You can pair it with a visit to the Rocca di Angera.

Swimming in the lakes

When it is hot, these are the two places we go ourselves.

Club Larice at Cadrezzate, on the small and beautifully clean Lago di Monate — about 25 minutes by car. Monate is far less known than its neighbours and the water is the best around here. Entry costs very little: booking is usually done online free of charge and you pay at the gate, but check the club’s own website for how it works on the day you go.

Otherwise, on Lake Maggiore, the Guree beach at Monvalle, about 30 minutes away. There is a free public stretch of beach here as well, so you can go without booking anything.

Laveno

A pleasant spot on Lake Maggiore which, in our opinion, is worth visiting as a stop on a longer outing rather than as a destination in itself. The fun part is the funicular — closed in winter — up to the summit of Sasso del Ferro at over 1,000 metres, from where you can see Lake Maggiore from above, Switzerland and the Monte Rosa range. For the more indulgent, there is a very good restaurant at the top with that same view.

Milan

Italy’s big city. You are spoilt for choice on what to see and do.

Como — and Bellagio

As an adopted Varese local I have absorbed a little of the traditional rivalry with Como, so it stings slightly when our guests want to go and visit that lot. But I have to admit it: the historic centre of Como is beautiful, and it is absolutely worth half a day.

Even more so, though slightly further away, we think the hidden gem of Lake Como is Bellagio. If you have to choose one, go to Bellagio.

Switzerland

I should be honest: although we are thirty minutes from the border, I do not know Switzerland especially well. But if it appeals to you, take a trip to Lugano — and watch the prices.