We stayed at the Albergo Monterosa for the five nights preceeding the Christmas period. We were made to feel extremely welcome by the attentive and hard working staff. The front of house manager/owner was particularly hospitable, having great patience with our limited Italien.

This particular area, we found to be ideal for visiting both Lake's Orta & Maggiore. The towns of Orta San Guilio and Stresa stand out as very visit-worthy, but exploring the lesser known towns and villages is very rewarding.

We would reccomend hiring a car to make the most of the region, as some of the best, most authentic places are off the beaten track, however driving along the various mountain passes isn't for the faint-hearted.

Overall, the magic of this region is that it is completely unspoilt and hasn't fallen into the commercialisation trap of some of the tourist hotspots of the east of the Italien Lake's