We have now vacationed on the 3 Italian lakes, Como, Garda and lastly Stresa on Lake Maggiore, Italy. They are all quite different but all beautiful. I cannot name a favourite but do think Stresa on Lake Maggiore was the best town for ease of getting to many little villages, and the 3 islands as well as a surprising number of other places too. All travel done in a quite relaxed way by train, boat or ferry. The Santa Caterina Hermitage was well worth the extra effort. A very unusual but beautiful place.
We went by the Domodossolo express to Locarno in Switzerland and whilst the train trip up was worthwhile for photo opportunities Locarno itself was underwhelming. A few days later we ended up in Brig Switzerland and I think it might be of more interest than Locarno.
The old Bormioli castle and Palazzo on the islands accessed by boat were breathtakingly beautiful with the most extravagant gardens which even people not otherwise into gardens could appreciate. The birdlife was lovely, just wandering around amongst visitors.
I particularly loved the Rocca Bormioli, beautiful in itself but the Doll Museum must be unsurpassed. I have visited many doll museums but the arrangement of the dolls in the various rooms of the fascinating old fort was double value for money. The views from the 2 top floors were worth the climb and the photographic opportunities from these quite open areas was wonderful. This was a very serene place.
We stayed at Hotel La Palma in Stresa and it was an excellent hotel with beautiful views from the lake front balcony room we had. I cannot fault the hotel. Rooms spacious and exceptionally clean and luxurious, all hotel staff pleasant and helpful and I think it had the very best breakfast on offer I have even seen in any hotel we have stayed at and that in a huge breakfast room. This hotel has the only pool out on the lake front across from the hotel. Stresa itself is a particularly beautiful town with very good shops and restaurants but also it has the most beautiful public areas running along the lake front. These public gardens and the extravagant floral plantings of all the lake front hotels put Stresa in a different league to Como and Garda. It is so endlessly picturesque and colourful and a total delight to the senses.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.