Lake Orta is one of Italy’s lesser known lakes and lies to the west of Lake Maggiore. The poet, Robert Browning, described Orta as being where ‘the Alps meet heaven’.
The small town and the famous island, Isola San Giulio with its famous monastery, are largely traffic-free and lined with little cafés and restaurants. If you’re looking for somewhere truly Italian but with a slower pace of life than ritzier Como or Maggiore, you can do no better than come to Orta.
Please note: Inghams will be operating a Telephone Rep service in Lake Orta for summer 2020.
Things to do in resort
Feast of San Vito (August - various dates)
Known as the patron saint of the music and arts, San Vito (St Vitus) is celebrated throughout the month of August in various locations around the beautiful Lake Orta. From orchestral performances on the waterfront to artisan food stalls and bars offering both local and Sicilian inspired dishes to honour the origins of San Vito.
The Way of Silence Walk (Available throughout the season)
On the small Isola San Guilio (Island of St Julius) is an unassuming but truly one of a kind experience - The Walk of Silence. A former pilgrimage route for Monks, this is a wonderful opportunity to see the hidden treasures of the island as well as finding focus and peace and quiet in its stunning surroundings. You're lead through the alleys of San Guilio by signs instructing you to listen out for particular sounds. More than just a historical walk, the route was pioneered by acoustic ecologists as a means of understanding the island by way of the landscape. As the trail loops around the whole island, be aware that it is rather long however if you tire and wish to return, you can follow the signs back the way you came and marvel at different sounds just as a result of changing direction.
Location in resort
- Longitude: 8.402107
- Latitude: 45.822006
For more information on travel and transport visit our Lake Orta page
