Best things to do in Stresa

Wander through botanical trails, gardens, and a zoo with exotic animals when you visit Park Pallavicino. You can walk into the park or take the miniature train from the city center or boat jetty. Make your way through the gardens, with colorful flowerbeds and roses, or sit on a bench to enjoy the scenery. See animals and birds in the zoo, and enter the enclosure with the llamas, sheep, goats, and deer. Eat at the cafe or restaurant overlooking the area, or bring your own food for a picnic.

Designed and established by Scotsman Neil McEacharn, Botanical Gardens Of Villa Taranto is home to more than 3,000 plant species. You'll see 300 different types of dahlias, plus azaleas, and Victorian Amazonian greenhouses. The garden's villa has been renovated into government offices that are closed to the public, but you can still admire the outer facade's Victorian artifice. The manicured lawn and fountains outside the villa are free to roam, as are the rest of the 16 hectares (40 acres) of elegant gardens.

Take the ferry to tropical plant-covered Isola Bella, the home of ornate gardens, a palace, and museum. At the museum, see one room Napoleon once called home. In another room, English, French, and Italian representatives met in a last-ditch attempt to head off World War II. At the palace, look for the grottos entirely covered in seashell mosaics. You can take an audio tour to fully appreciate the palace's history. Outside, you'll be treated to views of the lake and the landscaped tropical gardens.

Lake Orta is dotted with romantic buildings that are reflected in the water. The lake's cool, clean waters are likely what's left of a retreating glacier. Walk along the lake's shores and find activities both on and off the water. Travel to the southern or northern end of the lake by train. You can stay in hotels in either area.

A fortified castle built in the 19th century by the House of Savoy, Forte di Bard reopened in 2006 as the Museum of the Alps. Although the main structure dates from the 19th century, the complex is built atop the foundations of a fifth- and tenth-century castle complex. The fortress repelled Napoleon's army of 40,000 with a mere 400 soldiers manning the castle. Visit the museum to learn more about the castle's defenses and the Alps.

The isolated beauty of San Giulio Island made the island an attractive spot for monastic orders to build their sanctuary. The centerpiece, a 12th-century basilica, stands as an icon to the mainland village and is open to the public. Next to the basilica, a 19th-century seminary functions as a Benedictine monastery. Parts of this building are closed to the public. Archaeological findings on the island date back to the fifth century, when a small chapel was erected to honor evangelizer Saint Julius. This notable saint spent his last days on the island, but he wasn't the only known figure associated with it. William of Volpiano, or St. William of Dijon, was born here.