The territory around I Gelsomini is reknown for its countless natural and historical treasures.
Following is a list, clearly not exhaustive, meant to encourage you to discover and explore our wonderful surroundings.
For each of the point of interests we chose to highlight, you will also find an indication of their distance from I Gelsomini.
A few steps from us, a pictoresque hamlet listed with good reason amongst the most beautiful of Italy. After a visit to Piazza Motta and the church of Santa Maria Assunta, our suggestion is to wander and get lost in the labyrinth of small streets of the hamlet, where you will discover colonnades, noble palaces, artisan workshops and why not, one of the local tavernas.
Reachable by boat, this island is definitely one of the places to visit. The meditation trail goes all around the island and around the cloistered convent located there, taking the visitor on an introspective journey to discover unforgettable sights, as well as courts and gardens of historical buildings.
Right beneath Monte Rosa, this pictoresque location offers many different types of entertainment for mountain lovers. Besides being ideal for sports both during the summer (hiking, climbing, paragliding) and winter (skiing, snowboarding), it is the perfect place to indulge in more relaxing activities, such as romantic walks in close contact with nature while admiring the pink mountain-side at sunset.
Considered to be the most beautiful and the most impressive waterfall on the Alps, it impacts your eyes and your ears with its 143 meter fall, and a waterfront wide up to 60 meters at its most. The best place to admire it is on the belvedere located on its summit, but being a waterfall that is used to produce electricity, it is good to bear in mind that the flow of the water is artificially controlled. Thus, to fully enjoy the powerful sight of this waterfall, it is advisable to gather information beforehand about the times when the water flow is scheduled to be at its maximum.
Located on Alpi Lepontine, its waters are known for being the purest of Italy. For this reason, and for its pictoresque location, Lake Mergozzo is a paradise for those who love water sports such as canoeing and windsurfing. Its clean and rich waters also make it a favorite location for those who love fishing.
Stresa is considered one of the most beautiful locations around Lake Maggiore, and it is the starting point for a visit to the Isole Borromee: Isola Bella with the sumptuous Borromeo Palace and its ten terraces, the ancient hamlet on Isola dei Pescatori, the colors and perfumes of the botanic garden on Isola Madre.
With an altitude of 1492 meters, Mount Mottarone rises between the two lakes, Maggiore and Orta, on the boundary between the provinces of Verbania and Novara. It provides visitors with countless activities both during the summer (trekking, climbing, paragliding) and the winter (skiing, snow-shoe trekking), and with a breathtaking view all around.
What was originally a small chapel dedicated to the Madonna Addolorata later became a church due to all the graces received by the devoted of the Madonna del Rosario, whose statue was located there. In the first years of 1700 works were started to transform it into the Sanctuary we can admire today. Tha Sanctuary underwent an important renovation in 1998.
The town of Alagna, connected to Monte Rosa by a cable-car, occupies the northern end of the Val Grande, inside the National Park of Alta Valsesia. Famous for its skiing facilities and point of extreme interest for winter sports lovers, Alagna is also reknown for having in its trerritory the Rifugio Margherita, the highest mountain shelter in Europe, at 4554 meters of altitude.
This beautiful natural lake was generated by a landslide in 1642. It is inserted in the context of the Park of Alta Valle Antrona together with other mountain lakes (Cheggio, Campliccioli, Cingino, Camposecco), all to be discovered by following one of the many panoramic trails. As hikes along these trails can vary very much in difficulty, it is always advisable to gather information beforehand to choose the most appropriate ones.
A short distance from Domodossola, Bognanco is famous for the curative properties of the waters of its springs (Fonte Ausonia, Fonte San Lorenzo and Fonte Gaudenziana). These waters have been bottled for over a century and are used to cure several specific illnesses. Their properties made Bognango a reknown thermal center.
This is a unique place carved by the flowing of torrents generated by the melting of the Toce glacier, around 12000 years ago. Eroding the underlying rock, the water literally carved a canyon system, dozens of meters deep in some places, that visitors can now explore on foot with guided tours. The visits are open almost all year round (with the exception of the winter months), but the best period to enjoy the suggestive sights offered by the canyons is definitely spring.
NOTE: Some of the photos shown on this website have been taken from the intenet. Their usage is intended to promote the beauties of Lake Orta and its territory in order to encourage tourism to the benefit of everyone. However, should anyone not appreciate the spirit with which we are sharing them, please let us know and we will remove them.