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Luino
The town of Luino, in the province of Varese, is one of the largest and most important towns overlooking Lake Maggiore. In an enviable location, surrounded by mountains near the border with Switzerland, on what is known as the Costa Fiorita, Luino in fact welcomes considerable tourist traffic. Traffic that has been active since the last century, when a railroad was built that amplified commercial traffic from Central Europe to Genoa. Its history is also long: ancient Luvinum or Luvino was in fact first a Roman center and then a medieval village.
Attractions in Luino
Highlights
Walk in the woods to discover the Cadorna line (and more).
Easy tour for the beginner.
Lakeside Maggiore Route. One-day route between Switzerland and Italy that can be done all year round.
A beautiful path descending from Rifugio Campiglio to Pradecolo and then to Luino passing through Dumenza and the Polone pass. The route crosses ...
A bike ride starting from Luino passing through Valcuvia and the Cuvignone Pass, a historic climb of Varese cycling. The finish is in Laveno, a ...
Luino, border land suspended over the lake
The historic center of Luino is a tangle of alleys, lanes, courtyards and small squares squeezed into a quadrilateral overlooking the lake. Walking between Piazza Libertà, Via Felice Cavallotti, Piazza Giovanni XXIII and Via Manzoni, one can admire timeless glimpses, suspended in a crystallized dimension. The slight sense of decadence they emanate is balanced by the vitality of art ateliers, stores, bars and restaurants with old-world charm.
Famous is the large weekly market on Wednesdays, which spreads throughout the center and, because of its picturesque character, also attracts tourists from abroad.
Photo: Cassinam, CC BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Carlo Dell'Orto, CC BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons
Architecturally, there are two gems in Luino:
- the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Carmine, which overlooks the lake and, with its balanced façade in muted colors and typical pronaos, enriches every walk along the lakefront; the complex dates back to the 15th century and houses well-crafted frescoes, such as that of the Madonna della Misericordia. According to tradition, a miracle happened here: in 1725 a young woman was saved from bullets from a firearm because she was protected by the Virgin's dress. Those bullets, which stopped in front of the woman, are framed at the foot of the statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
- the Palazzo Verbania, formerly the Kursaal Hotel, which is an Art Nouveau building designed in 1904 and overlooking the lake, which now houses the Archives of Piero Chiara and Vittorio Sereni, two writers originally from Luino, who stayed here in the 1910s. Today the building hosts rotating cultural exhibitions, but from its terrace and the glassed-in hall below, cantilevered over the water, the view is still magical.
One last treat Luino has in store for us is for fans of trains, locomotives and railroads: it is the Verbano Railway Museum, set up at the train station in Piazza Marconi. Inside the premises of the old train shed, dating back to 1882, is housed a small collection of steam, electric and diesel locomotives built between the 1920s and the 1960s. In addition to these, there are also some passenger coaches from the same period.
Walking and cycling to discover the municipality of Luino
In addition to the magnificent lakefront, which is perfect for pleasant walks, it is also possible from Luino to undertake hikes to discover the hinterland, for example, passing through Dumenza and the Polone pass to Pradecolo or taking a walk in the woods of Mount Bedea, during which one can admire the remains of a World War II barracks, a sentry box and trenches, and the Cadorna Line, a defense system located along the border with Switzerland.
Cycling from Luino to Laveno
A splendid bike route, on the other hand, is the one from Luino to the villages of Laveno, in the municipality of Laveno-Mombello, crossing the Valcuvia and the Cuvignone Pass. It is a difficult route, but one that offers splendid views of the lake, especially coming down to Laveno Mombello. Village from which, then, it is possible to take the gondola to the top of Monte Sasso del Ferro, from which you can admire another wonderful panorama sweeping over Lake Maggiore. On fine days, moreover, the view can reach as far as Lake Varese.
A bike ride starting from Luino passing through Valcuvia and the Cuvignone Pass, a historic climb of Varese cycling. The finish is in Laveno, a ...
Near Luino: all the charm of Lake Maggiore and Varese
Luino is in a perfect position to visit several places on Lake Maggiore, such as Laveno Mombello, Caldé or Ispra, but also to move to Lake Lugano, and thus visit Lavena Ponte Tresa or Lugano.
Remaining on Lake Maggiore, Caldé, in the municipality of Castelveccana, is a delightful tourist resort, known for its Fortress, dating back to the 10th century, of which, however, only fascinating remains; within its enclosure, however, is the Sailors' Monument, a sort of tower-lighthouse built in 1923 that commemorates sailors lost in World War I.
Ispra, on the other hand, is rich in evidence of industrial archaeology: we are talking about the furnaces for the production of lime, real businesses active from the 13th century until the first half of the 20th century; the lime produced here then reached the city of Milan by river, and it is said that the lime used to build the cathedral came from here.
Closer to Luino is the town of Lavena Ponte Stresa, which, however, lies on Lake Lugano. Its location is peculiar: across the strait that part of the center overlooks, we are already in the Ticino Canton of Switzerland. And, precisely, in the protected area of Mount Caslano, which preserves a rich variety of fauna and flora.
Finally, Luino is about forty minutes by car from the provincial capital, Varese, also called the "Garden City" for the beauty of the gardens that open between the arcaded alleys; gardens within which there are magnificent villas, such as Villa Mirabello (home of the Archaeological Museum) and Villa Menafoglio (home of the Panza Collection of contemporary art).
Cycling around Lake Maggiore
Better-trained cyclists equipped with a road bike can take the Lake Maggiore tour, a 160-plus kilometer route between Switzerland and Italy that allows you to ride almost always parallel to the lake, offering wonderful views.
Lakeside Maggiore Route. One-day route between Switzerland and Italy that can be done all year round.
Trip planning
Destinations in Luino
Localization
