Province NO
Arona, NO
A lakeside town at the southern end of Lake Maggiore and a rail junction on the Milan to Switzerland line. It faces the Rocca Borromeo di Angera across the water and is the birthplace of Carlo Borromeo, whose family shaped much of the town. It works well as a base reachable without a car.
Sights
- The Sancarlone, a 35 metre copper and bronze colossus of Saint Charles Borromeo begun in 1614 and finished in 1698, which visitors can climb inside
- Parco della Rocca Borromea, the hilltop public park on the site of the castle demolished under Napoleon, with wide lake views
- Collegiata della Nativita di Maria Vergine, a church of 1482 with Renaissance altarpieces
- Sacro Monte di Arona, the devotional complex around the colossus
- Parco dei Lagoni di Mercurago, peat bogs and Bronze Age pile-dwelling remains, part of the UNESCO prehistoric pile dwellings listing
Things to do
- Walk the lungolago towards the Angera castle view
- Go to the Tuesday morning market
- Take the short ferry crossing to Angera
- Climb inside the Sancarlone
Annual events
February
Cimento Invernale
A cold-water swim in the lake, past its 45th edition.
September
Traversata Arona-Angera
Open-water swim across the lake, past its 30th edition.
When to visit
April to early October. The lakefront businesses thin out from November to March, though Arona stays a working town year round.
