Baveno

Relax and rejuvenate at this lakeside resort’s grand villas and healing thermal springs, wedged between rugged pink-granite mountains and the shining shores of Lake Maggiore.

Baveno is an enchanting town on the western shores of Lake Maggiore. From the early Roman merchants who traded in the 1st-century B.C. settlement to the 19th-century nobles who established their summertime retreats by the shore, Baveno has a long history of hospitality. Explore this pretty town to glimpse its architectural treasures and Eden-like islands.

Get acquainted with Baveno’s elite heritage when you wander the town’s superb lakefront promenade. On the eastern side of the promenade you’ll see the façades of stately waterfront villas topped with vivid terracotta tile roofs. Explore the rambling old-town streets, which twist and turn to reveal pretty parks and grand villas. Check out the castle-like turret of Villa Henfrey-Branca, stroll around the grounds of Villa Fedora and note the Moorish embellishments in the design of Villa Barberis. The 19th-century Villa Durazzo is a mansion also known as the Lido Palace Hotel, which welcomed Sir Winston Churchill on his honeymoon in 1908.

Take a trip through time when you see the enduring 16th-century decorations on Villa Brandolini D’Adda and the frescoes within the Romanesque Church of Saints Gervase and Protaso.

On the western side of the promenade, take in expansive views of Lake Maggiore and the Borromean Islands. Get a closer look at these offshore jewels by jumping aboard one of the ferries departing from Baveno Harbor. Isola Madre is renowned for its perfectly manicured botanical gardens, while Isola Bella is encompassed by an exquisite Italianate palace and garden. On Isola Superiore, you’ll find restaurants serving up lake-caught seafood.

Look back toward the pink-granite foothills of Mount Camoscio, which rises behind the town. The top of the mountain is the source of the curative Fonti di Baveno, the spring that feeds thermal baths throughout the region.

Baveno is easily accessible via the regional train line that delivers visitors to the heart of the old town. Alternatively, reach the resort from Milan in less than 90 minutes via the major highway that runs northwest from the city. Stay the night in Baveno’s stunning waterfront villas. Visit Baveno to experience the resort’s remarkable lake views, offshore islands and healing waters.