Lago Maggiore

During our two weeks holidays at the end of April and beginning of May 2022, we made some stops in Germany like Burg Eltz, the Genovevaburg in Mayen and Freiburg am Briesgau. We also discovered a littlebit of stunning Switzerland to end the journey with some terrific days around the famous Lago Maggiore. Kurt Hielscher published four photos from the lake, all made from Stresa and the nearby two islands: Isola Bella and Isola Superiore. We drove around the whole of the lake so I can share some more photos from the places we visited.

View from Stresa on Isola Bella, 1925. Photo: Kurt Hielscher.

Isola Bella, 2nd of May 2022. Photo: Casper Molenaar.

View on the lake from the very romantic sidewalk south of Stresa.

While walking to the north one will come to the center and its harbour. And then, suddenly, this building showed up. Before that moment I was caught by the charming panoramic sidewalk and its views on the Lago Maggiore and its nearby islands. Instantly, I remmebred seeing it on the news.

This place lost its innocence due to a tragical accident not so long ago. I only realized that the moment I saw the gondola station, the Funivia Stresa-Alpino-Mottarone, when I remembered I read about it and from the news. On the 23rd of May 2021 fourteen people lost their lives when a cable broke causing the cab to descend with an enormous speed and then slammed into a large pylon which launched the cabine to fall to the ground. Only a five year old boy survived. The youngest victim was a two-year-old boy, the oldest a 71-year-old man.

View on Isola Bella from Stresa, 1925. Photo: Kurt Hielscher.

Same view, new building with the gondola that become known because it was struck by disaster in 2021. Photo: Casper Molenaar, 2nd of May 2022.

Since then the cable car is closed. The cable car used to go within 20 minutes to the top of the mountain Mottarone at a height of 1491 meter. Due to the corona lockdown, the track was closed for a while. Only a month before the accident visitors were able to go up again. The contrast between Kurt Hielscher's photo and mine could not be bigger. A stunning open view on the lake and the beautiful Isola Bella exchanged for a closed red block building with deserted surroundings at the side from where the photo is made. I can imagine the lively terrasses in the past with bunches of tourists staring at the gondola coming in and out every few minutes. It could have been us.

Photo made on Isola Superiore with Isola Bella in the distance, 1925. Photo: Kurt Hielscher.

Isola Superiore as seen from the main land, 2022. In the middle one can recognize the characteristic building from Kurt Hielscher's photo. Photo: Casper Molenaar.

Since we did not visit one of these islands, I could not rephotograph Kurt Hielscher's photos, but this I can give an impression. We stayed on a camsite not far away during 5 days and every day I was thinking about canoeing to the islands, but every day I did not dare to do it. The winds were changing all the time in direction and strength and the 4,5 kilometers can be a too long distance.

Isola dei Pescatori or Superiore as seen form Isola Bella, 1925. Photo: Kurt Hielscher. As we did not go to the islands, I could not rephotograph this photo this time.

View on Baveno and on the left Mont'Orfano that is situated just behind Feriolo where we stayed on the campsite for 4 nights.

Feriolo, where we stayed on the campsite for half a week, as seen from our canoe in the Lago Maggiore.

I made a nice hike on the hill next to the village of Feriolo to a medieval tower with nice views on the lake and the viollage but also to the hinterlands.

Cannobio

Passing the border coming from Switzerland, our first stop was Cannobio which will be remembered by the terrific ice-creams we had next to the first view on the lake and its beauty.

Angera

Laveno

Cossogno i Ponte Romano in the Parc Nazionale ValGrande

A characteristic village and a nice walk to the waterfalls near the Roman Bridge. My oldest and I also went for a refreshing swim at the Diga ENEL di Rovegro at the opposite site of the San Bernardino river with its cold but crystal clear water. We had a great time and felt like though guys.

Camping Orchidea

Switzerland

Though Kurt Hielscher did not publish any photos from Switzerland ever as far as I know, for us it was a very impressive part of our holidays and it makes me happy to also share some photos from that part of our trip here.

Beckenried at Lake Luzern, a forst stop. Finally, back in Switzerland. It has been decades.

Aussichtspunkt Marienhöhe near Seelisberg with a view on Lake Luzern or the Vierwaldstättersee.

Another one from Lake Luzern and three more higher in the mountains with snow. We wanted to go through the Sustenpas to the Steinsee, but the road was closed due to snow, so we sent the night just before the closure.