Lake Orta: things to do, people to know

It begins at Gozzano and is lined with 19th century neoclassical villas, their gardens full of azaleas and blooming camellias. The town welcomes you with elegant seventeenth and eighteenth-century palaces, whose loggias open on verdant gardens sloping down to the shining waters of the lake…

Enclosed on three sides by porticos, cafés, and shops, it opens onto the blue waters of the lake and is the ideal place from where to admire the view of St. Giulio’s Isle before taking our public boat service to reach the island shores.

The Palace of the Community of the Riviera (dated 1582) catches one’s eye. Called the "Palazzotto", it has long been the seat of the General Council of the Community of the small Republic of the Orta Riviera. Unusually, among the bishop of Novara’s estates, Orta San Giulio was able to have its own statutes, as though it were a sort of autonomous state, over the long period that went from 1345 to 1753.

Continuing along the Olina, you come to the Olina house, the hospital dated 1602, and, at the junction with a small slope, the villa of Monti Caldara (17th century) with beautiful balconies of wrought iron, an element present in many houses of the village

Just beyond, is the sixteenth-century Villa Bossi, now the seat of the Municipality, with the entrance that opens onto a lakeside garden. The San Rocco oratory church (1631), several seven to nineteenth-century houses (Casa Gippini, Casa Tosi, Villas Durio and Motta), later on, Bersani, are rich in medieval angles.

The ascent up to the top of the hill, the Motta, sees, on the right side, the fifteenth-century house of the Dwarves, so-called for its four tiny windows over the wooden lintel, and, almost opposite, another antique 16th century mansion; on the left, the De Fortis Penotti palace with a beautiful neoclassical façade and, on the right, the Gemelli palace, late Renaissance.

The summit of the ascent is represented by the Church of Santa Maria Assunta (dedicated to the Assumption of Mary) built in 1485, whose present physiognomy shows an eighteenth century adaptation; there’s a stunning Oira stone portal with floral motifs and animal figures. Past the Gemelli palace begins the ascent to the cemetery of San Quirico and then to the Sacro Monte.

After visiting Orta, it is imperative to sail to the island that rises in the center of Lake Orta. The island of San Giulio, located about 400 meters from the shore, shows off its wonders to the mainland: the basilica with its antique bell tower, the verdant gardens, the lovely villas.

The small bay of Ortello has a tiny beach by Lake Orta and is part of the Orta San Giulio Municipality. The bay was in the past an ancient village of farmers and fishermen, which had developed in medieval times on the land that from the bay of the same name rises up the slopes of the Sacro Monte.

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Large open meadow area, overlooking the Orta Lake, with a breathtaking view. It offers several services, including a restaurant, a kiosk / bar and an area fully equipped for lovers of true "beach life".

Immersed in the finest Lake Orta landscape, in Corconio, the Miami Beach will enchant you and make your vacation and relaxation unique, thanks to the area with deckchairs and umbrellas. There’s a kiosk of drinks and snacks, so you can enjoy the sun and the clear waters of the lake with friends or with family all day long.

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A sandy bay, sunny from morning to evening. Free, or a beach equipped with trampoline. Services, showers, bars and restaurants

The beaches of Pettenasco offer many possibilities: choose from those fully equipped with a restaurant, bar, showers and toilets, to free ones (open all year) where you can lie on your towel and relax in the sun. Try them all, and choose your favorite one.

If you are looking for beaches in the locality of San Maurizio d'Opaglio, then you have to go to the Port of Lagna beach, and to the beach at Pascolo. The first, always open and free, is equipped with public toilets. The second, a free beach without sand or gravel, has a kiosk for a refreshing lemonade or for a mid-afternoon snack!

The beaches and the lido of the Bagnella are waiting for you, on the outskirts of Omegna. There is a kiosk to enjoy a snack or a drink on the sand. If you love sun, the beach life, and the relaxation that only the tranquility of the lake can convey ... come and take a walk around here!

With a spectacular view all the way to St Giulio’s Isle, this tiny beach, with a narrow entrance and boat mooring, will delight you with its poetic surroundings. The deepest point of Lake Orta; it is ideal for those who like to dive or, just for those who want to sunbathe.