isola bella

We booked an overnight at Lago Maggiore waiting for our flight leaving Milan Malpensa. We were so thrilled to see the amazingly beautiful lake and the perfect Isola Bella. We had a delightful tour by Matteo. He was welcoming, witty and utterly charming. He shared so many interesting details about the palace. I wouldn't miss this stop and suggest staying a few days on the Lake.

We took a boat trip to visit this and another island on Lake Maggiore. Just off the coast by Stressa this lovely island had wonderful gardens and a beautiful house. It is well worth taking a boat trip out to have a look round and also visit the rest of the island to see the shops, bars and restaurants. Narrow and picturesque streets.

We took a local boat out to the island. Very pretty spot. Lovely gardens. Palace is impressive. Worth the trip and cost to get there and spend some time on the island.

Went to visit this magical place last Aug.2014 along with 60 persons from a co. where my husband works.The garden was so amazing,blooming view towards the beautiful lake Maggiore,well- manicured and it feels so serene there though we were many.It was exceptional coz the co.hired a live operetter consist of 3-4 singers,never experienced such fantastic and romantic setting in such a perfect place.Not only that,were served with champagne and finger foods while listening and enjoying the scene of the singers.

The Isola Bella is an lovely island palace in the middle of Lago Maggiore. It is amazing to think of the obstacles they faced during construction. The palace itself is extremely beautiful, but I was more impressed with the mosaic grotto rooms. They were truly wonderful. The gardens are delightful to wander through and enjoy the white peacocks roaming around. Well worth the trip if you are in the area.

I visited the place in September 2014 and was delighted. I took a train from milano centrale to a small and beautiful town stressa which is on lake maggiore which inhabits these islands the gardens are worth watching you need to check with the timings of the palace and garden and also of the last train that leaves from stresa to milan and secondly the place is closed during winters which needs a confirmation before going there

Lovely day trip from Milan by train to Stresa followed by ferry ride to Isola Madre and then Isola Bella. Though very different in character, both gardens were beautiful and well worth the visit on a hot day with clear blue skies. The palace was quite unbelievable and grand in scale with lavish detail and very cool inside. Iron doors lead to the garden, up stone stairs to where the first sight of the structured garden takes your breath away. Fountains, flowers, statues, topiary - it's all there and with beautiful views across Lake Maggiore. Gift shop and cafe (where a cheeky white peacock took a bit of our foccacia!). Highly recommended.

While visiting Lake Maggiore we had a wonderful guide, Micaela. She procured a private boat for our group of 12 and conducted a private tour of Isola Bella' s Palace and grounds, the gardens and summer home on Isola Madre and beautiful lunch at Verbena on Isola Pescatori. If staying in Stressa or Baveno I highly recommend her! Guidalaghi@virgilio.it

This summer palace is amazing to see. Only accessible by boat this is a must see when in Lake Maggiore. The gardens are also spectacular to see.

Only accessible by boat. Summer palace of Bormeole family. Especially impressive the lower floor rooms with natural air conditioning. Gardens spectacular . We were fortunate to see 3 white peacocks, although their feathers are not spectacular at this time of year.

The palace and the garden are located on an island just offshore of Lake Maggiore. It can only be reached by boat which takes about 10-15 minutes.The entrance fee include the palace and the garden. The inside of the palace was elegantly and beautifully decorated. The guided tour offered a lot of interesting information to help appreciate the palace and its history. The most interesting part of the palace is the grotto which is beautifully decorated with different kinds of rocks. No photo taking is allowed in the palace.After the palace, we were led to the gardens which was equally impressive. There are a lot of romanique statues and the flowers are blooming even at the end of September, A few white peacocks roam the garden too. The garden also offers the view of the lake and 2 other islands owned by the same family. Outside the palace and garden is tourist trap because there are a lot of restaurants and shops selling souvenirs.

My husband and I were on an tour of Italy the last 2 weeks and the the Isola Bella Palace was the last place we toured. It is absolutely outstanding! It was a wonderful way to finish off our trip! The palace is beautiful but the grotto was amazing! 100 years just for that. And the gardens, what can i say??? My husband even loved this place and it's not typically a place he would visit! Worth every penny of the ticket price. The guide was very knowledgeable, funny and sweet. We would love to visit again :)

Our second visit here, much less rushed than last year so we really got a chance to take in the house and its expansive gardens. A guided tour or at least the inexpensive audio guide is the best way to fully appreciate this grand house. The gardens are equally impressive. Coupled with lunch on Isola Pescatori makes for a great afternoon on Lake Maggiore. Big parking lot on the water in Stresa and then a quick trip on public ferry or take one of the smaller private taxis. (They will make sure to find you in the parking lot).

While this is the first time I've written about Isola Bella on this site, I've lost track of how many times I've made the water taxi journey to this piece of paradise. As a mathematician, my first tug was that this is the ancestral home of the Borromeo Family, their crest engraved with a link known as the Boromean Rings.While I could share many words, let me only say this: Go! Dress appropriately for drizzle or sun, taking an umbrella so you can make your own shade! When you get there, take the time to explore the nooks and crannies on the far north end of the island. The smell and splendor is well worth sitting to appreciate. Then wander along the western edge toward the main area and there, immediately purchase tickets for 1) the house, 2) the art gallery and 3) the gardens. Take your time and savour every minute, remembering to look up, down and out every window. You will not be disappointed. When you get to the garden, the sights and sounds will delight you at every corner. If you need to shop, there's a beautiful shop on the southest end. Take time to enjoy the lovely bistro on the southwest corner, having something to cool or warm to drink and a light lunch while the white peacocks entertain you!

Getting to the island is very easy by the little boats waiting everywhere. The island looks a little too touristic at first, but please enter the castle and the gardens, it is worth the ticket price. For the Star Wars fans, this is where the second episode was filmed, this is the Lake House. The palace was build for a child and the style shows that clearly, and the gardens are from a fairy tail (even white peacocks walking around freely) with a beautiful view over the lake. It is something different and you won't find it anywhere else, so I fully recommend!