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Orta San Giulio
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Occupying the tip of a peninsula on the lake's eastern shore,
ORTA SAN GIULIO
is a romantic little town where narrow cobbled streets run between pastel-washed houses and palaces with elaborate wrought-iron balconies. It is, not surprisingly, Lago d'Orta's main attraction, and on summer Sundays the approach roads hum with traffic and the alleyways with day-trippers. Life centres on two piazzas:
Piazzetta Ernesto Ragazzoni
, and
Piazza Motta
- open to the lake and looking directly on to Isola San Giulio - where visitors congregate in three
gelaterie
(of which
Venus
is the best). Somewhat out of place among the pavement cafes is the
Palazzo della Communita
, Orta's diminutive town hall, decorated with faded frescoes and supported on an arcaded loggia. From the piazza you can walk out of the village along Via Giovanetti to a lakeside promenade popular with smooching couples, or catch a boat to the island
. Above the town is the
Sacro Monte
, 21 chapels dedicated to St Francis of Assisi and containing some awful tableaux of painted terracotta statues acting out scenes from the saint's life against frescoed B-movie backgrounds. They make up a devotional route still followed by pilgrims, though as many visitors come simply to picnic, admire the views of the lake and inhale the pine-scented air.
Orta San Giulio's tourist office is just out of town, up the hill on Via Panoramica (Tues-Sat 9am-noon & 3-6pm, Sun 10am-noon & 3-5pm; tel 0322.905.614); it's well organized, with bus timetables as well as information on hotels. Accommodation in Orta San Giulio is pricey, but one of the better (and cheaper) places to stay is the Olina (tel 0322.905.656, fax tel 0322.905.645; L120,000-150,000/61.98-77.47), at Via Olina 40 in the village centre, offering reliably comfortable rooms and with one of the Orta's best restaurants downstairs; it also has apartments in the village for longer stays, with weekly rates starting at L490,000/253.06. If you can't get into the Olina , a double at the three-star Santa Caterina , a large, cream-coloured villa at Via Marconi 10 (tel 0322.915.875, fax 0322.915.865; L120,000-150,000/61.98-77.47), will cost you the same; turn left out of the train station and head downhill - it's about a five-minute walk.
Finding
snack
food is a challenge, but the
Pizzeria Campana
, just off the main piazza at Via Giovanetti 41, isn't bad for simple dishes as well as pizza and has a neighbourly bar frequented by locals.
Bar Edera
, signposted off Via Olina, does reasonably priced crepes,
piadine
and
pizzette
. With more to spend, you'll eat very well at the
restaurant
below the hotel
Olina
(closed Wed), which serves excellent local specialities and thoughtful extras like aperitifs on the house; just beyond Piazzetta Ragazzoni in the
centro storico
, the
Antico Agnello
, Via Olina 18 (booking advised at weekends, tel 0322.90.259; closed Tues), is equally good, with Lombard dishes, great puddings and congenial service. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Italy,
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