Villa sul Lago

Lake Maggiore, Stresa, Massino Visconti

    • Sleeps 2+2/4 Guests
    • Bedrooms 1/2 Bedrooms
    • Bathrooms 1/1 Bathrooms
    • Floor area sq m 110/150 m2
    • Pool
    • WiFi
    • Terrace
    • Airport distance:
      Milano Malpensa 45 km/50 min
      Milano Linate 110 km/1 hr 40 min
      Milano Orio al Serio 125 km/2 hrs
      Switzerland/Lugano 100 km/1 hrs 40 min

    per week

    Enquire Now

    Overview

    Above the blue lake

    Villa sul Lago is located uphill from Lesa, in the pretty village of Massino Visconti. The villa dates back to the years around 1400 and is related to the nearby Visconti castle. The property faces the lake and the location is peaceful and quiet, even though it is just a few metres from the shops, cafés and restaurants in the village. The large shared swimming pool offers panoramic views over the lake.

    The owners have restored the villa with great care, maintaining many of its original features. Facing a courtyard, the villa has two rows of stately pillars - three arches at ground level and a loggia on the upper floor. The courtyard is home to a magnificent old magnolia tree, taller than the house itself. 

    All of the units have their own independent entrance, and each unit opens onto the long loggia on the upper floor of the house. An additional apartment on the ground floor is used by the owner and her family, who often come on weekends and during the weeks in August, and they share the pool with the guests.

    The villa can be rented as separate apartments, or it can be joined and rented comfortably by a larger group. The loggia offers space for dining together. It is possible to pay a supplement to have exclusive use of the pool.

    For guests with mobility concerns, note that from the parking area there are about 15 steps to reach the garden. Additionally, all of the bedrooms and bathrooms are located upstairs; therefore, this property is not suitable for guests with walking problems.

     

    Massino Visconti is a peaceful village approx. 400 m above sea level and 4 km from the lakeshore. A nearby excellent restaurant (approx. 100 m from the house) offers also the possibility to order delicious take-out meals. The village has a few shops, larger grocery stores are in Gignese (1 km) and a supermarket in Invorio (7 km).

    A sports club in nearby Lesa (4 km downhill), with tennis courts and an Olympic-sized pool, can be used by guests for a daily or weekly fee. The beach is just 4 km from the villa, and there are two golf courses within ten minutes' drive (plus seven more within an hour).

    The ferry to the other resort towns and islands docks at Belgirate, a 10-minute drive. The highway entrance is just 4 km from the villa. The next railway station is in Arona, a 15-minute drive. The train to Milan takes about an hour.

    Guests Reviews

    Our Guests Reviews

    Superb.
    Left on Oct 6, 2013 for a stay in Aug 2013
    Absolutely loved this place. The people, the setting, everything was perfect!!

    La location è fantastica, con piscina e vista su tre laghi. La vasta scelta tra appartamenti con superfici diverse ci ha permesso di chiamare amici per la sera. Ottima la cura degli esterni del verde e la possibilità di parcheggiare interno cortile. Ideale per famiglie che si spostano durante la giornata per visitare, ma anche per godersi in assoluto relax una vista mozzafiato. Grazie ci rivediamo l’anno prossimo.
    Giugno 2023

    Villa sul Lago accoglie gli ospiti in appartamenti molto curati e, almeno nel nostro caso, con una vista sul lago maggiore che spazia sino alle lontane montagne lombarde. L'accoglienza è gentile e premurosa al punto giusto. Completano il quadro giardino e piscina con vista lago. Davvero un bel posto che ben si associa al paese di Massino, piccolo, ma con tutti i negozi che servono e una giusta dimensione per chi cerca tranquillità. 
    Agosto 2022

    Amenities

    HOLIDAY HOME AMENITIES
    • Pool: 5 x 10m / shared pool
    • Internet WIFI connection
    • Satellite TV
    • CD-stereo 
    • Hair dryer
    • Microwave
    • Coffee percolator
    • Dishwasher
    • Washing mashine
    • Iron facilities in one apartment
    • Shared loggia with 3 seated areas (for the larger units 1, 3 and 5)
    • Shared garden 
    • Parking for 3 cars (one car for each of the three larger units 1, 3 and 5)
    Touring ideas

    Restaurant 100 m
    Lakeshore, railway station Lesa 3.5 km 
    Water sports Lesa 4 km
    Boat rental 4 km
    Tennis court 4 km
    Riding stable 4 km
    Golf course 4 km
    Highway Carpugnino 4 km
    Belgirate 6 km
    Ferry boat Stresa 10 km
    Stresa 12 km
    Arona 12 km
    Orta Lake 21 km
    Pallanza 29 km
    Verbania 29 km
    Milan 50 km

    Photos

  • Floor Plan
  • Activities

    Many small towns and villages surround Lake Maggiore and it’s worthwhile exploring as many as you can. It is recommend that you spend the mornings on the west side with the afternoons on the east side of the lake, that way you will always stay in the sun.

    Steamers, hydrofoils (corse rapide), car ferries (traghetti) and buses serve all the main towns on Lake Maggiore. The best views of many of the attractions along the shore of Lake Maggiore are from the water, so you'll want to take at least one trip by boat. A ferry around the heart of Lake Maggiore is a must. The most popular of the stops remains the The Borromean Islands.

    The Borromean Islands lie off Stresa, where boats leave regularly for all three islands, stopping first at Isola Bella, where between 1650 and 1671, Count Vitaliano Borromeo built up terraces and created a splendid summer palace. For most visitors, the most impressive part of Isola Bella is the Italian-style garden, rising in ten terraces to a height of 32 meters and covered with luxuriant southern vegetation. On a Lake Maggiore Isola Bella Hop-On Hop-Off Ferry Tour from Stresa, you can leave Stresa and return on your own schedule, spending as much time exploring the palace and gardens as you like.

    Like Isola Bella, Isola Madre belongs to the Borromeo family. The island has beautiful English-style grounds surpassing even Isola Bella in the variety and luxuriance of their plants, although by the nature of a landscape garden, they are less flamboyant and more designed for strolling and appreciating the lake views at leisure.

    Unlike the other two Borromean Islands, Isola dei Pescatori has no grand palace, villa, or gardens. Instead, it is a simple fishing village of homes built along its highest point, their doorways facing inward along a narrow street so spring and autumn high lake waters won't flood them. About 50 year-round residents come and go by boat, and some families still make their living by fishing. It's a pleasant and atmospheric place to wander, and its few restaurants specialize in lake fish. Be there for lunch or ask which of these provides free boat service from the mainland if you'd like to return in the evening to dine on the terrace by sunset.

    Enjoy the lovely park of the Villa Taranto, created after the Second World War by a retired Scottish army officer, a botanist who collected plants from around the world to grow in this English landscape-style garden park. More than 20,000 plant varieties - flowers, trees, shrubs, and water plants - native to this region and to places as distant as the Amazon rain forests thrive in this beautiful setting overlooking lake views, making Villa Taranto one of the most popular places to visit on Lake Maggiore.

    Monte Mottarone Cable Car: Although you can drive to the top of Monte Mottarone (1,491 meters) on a toll road, it's far more fun - and the views are better - taking the cable car from the shore of Lake Maggiore in Stresa. At the end of the cable car ride, a chairlift (free with a cable car ticket) takes you to the very top for views down onto Lake Orta and of a chain of Alps from Monte Viso to Ortles, with Monte Rosa to the west (the light is particularly beautiful in the morning). As you ascend the mountain, you can enjoy excellent views of Lake Maggiore and the Borromean Islands below.

    Rocca d'Angera, the Borromeo castle overlooking the lake at Angera, is a medieval fortified stronghold whose structure has been preserved almost intact. It is a fine medieval building with stunning views from its tower and an exceptional collection of dolls, toys and games in the Doll Museum. Wheelchair access

    Santa Caterina del Sasso is a hermitage clinging to the rocks above Lake Maggiore and is a unique place to visit.

    The Laveno Bucket Lift is an alternative way to see Lake Maggiore. As you ascend the slopes of Mount Sasso del Ferro there are panoramic views of Lake Maggiore and the Alps.

    Stresa: On the west side of Lake Maggiore, south of its western arm, the chic little town of Stresa looks onto the Borromean Islands. Stresa is the largest resort town on the Italian part of the lake and tends to cater to a moneyed crowd with its smart shops, upscale restaurants, and posh hotels. The lakeside promenade, where much of tourist life centers, offers beautiful views across to the islands. If you're looking for the best places to go shopping in Stresa, look in the streets off Piazza Giocomo Matteotti, near the tourist information office.

    Villa Pallavicino is just a 10 minute stroll along the lakefront from Stresa. From its dramatic entrance view of cypress trees carved into a row of arches, Villa Pallavicino is filled with surprises. A combination of botanical garden and zoo, the park is beautifully landscaped into a natural amphitheater surrounding a villa. Magnolia trees, sequoia, an impressive Lebanon cedar, and manicured lawns bordered by rhododendrons, camellias, and azaleas cover the grounds. Greenhouses hold more exotic species. In the natural environment, animals appear to be roaming free, and you can encounter llamas, zebra, Tibetan goats, flamingos, swans, and colorful parrots - more than 40 different species - as you wander through the park.

    On the west shore of Lake Maggiore, almost to the Swiss border, Cannobio sits on a small plateau at the mouth of the Valle Cannobina. Its old town has picturesque narrow streets and a Palazzo della Ragione (town hall) built in 1291. Near the landing-stage for lake excursion boats is the Santuario della Pietà, a Renaissance church that houses a small picture with a number of miracles attributed to it.

    Just south of Cannobio is one of the prettiest towns on Lake Maggiore, Cannero Riviera, sitting amid orchards and olive-groves. The climate here is the mildest on the lake, and lemon and orange trees can survive the winter outdoors. There is a beautiful beach, rare on the lake, and a pleasant promenade along the lakefront. Just offshore, on rocky islets in the lake, are the ruins of the two Castelli di Cannero, castles built by Lodovico Borromeo in 1519 replacing earlier castles, which had been held by lake pirates. This is a quiet, peaceful choice for a base while exploring the lake, with a few small hotels, outdoor cafés, and great restaurants.

    On the west side of Monte Mottarone, little Lake Orta is overlooked by most tourists visiting the Italian lakes region, which only increases its appeal. It is considered the most romantic among the Italian lakes. The picture-perfect medieval town of Orta San Giulio tumbles down the steep wooded shore to Piazza Motta, where you can (and should) take a boat to the tiny island of Isola San Giulio in the lake's center.
    Lake Orta has always been a haven for poets and other creative people. Nietzsche spent the years 1883 to 1885 in retreat at Lake d'Orta to write "Thus Spoke Zarathustra." Other 19th-century writers enchanted by its quiet beauty include the French novelist Honoré de Balzac, who wrote  and Robert Browning.

    The Sacro Monte of Orta, included on the UNESCO world heritage list, is maybe the most remarkable sacred site. Set up in a botanical garden on a hill overlooking the lake, it is dedicated to the life of Saint Francis, with 21 chapels, built between the 15th and the 17th century, richly decorated with frescoes and terracotta statues by famous artists. 

    Browse the local markets: As with all Italian markets, the ones around Lake Maggiore are bursting with local cheese and cold meats, fruit and vegetables and olives as well as clothes, shoes and handbags! Treat yourself to a new bag or pick up the ingredients for a picnic. We love the weekly market in Stresa but bigger markets are held in Cannobio on a Sunday morning and Luino on a Wednesday.

    Then of course there is Milan. Milan is a short train-ride away for those in search of some city life. 

    Lake Maggiore is close to the Swiss border and from Lake Lugano. Cross the border into Switzerland and visit Foxtown Factory Stores, a temple of luxury and elegance with 3 km of shop windows, where 160 stores.

    Lake Maggiore boasts some of the very finest Italian cuisine, and is home to a number of world-class restaurants. Check out the back streets and old lakeside towns to find some of the less well known but excellent restaurants.

    Outdoor Activities: biking, mountain biking, hiking, boating, paragliding and windsurfing.
    There are numerous hikes and walking trails in and around Lake Maggiore. Around the lake, through the woodlands and up through the hills and mountains offer an enormous variety of hiking possibilities, from easy walks for families to the more difficult for skilled hikers.
    For water sports lovers it is possible to spend entire days sailing or kayaking, windsurfing and motor boating, water skiing and canoeing, wakeboarding and kitesurfing.
    Enjoy a paragliding flight for two people together with a professional coach.
    Lake Maggiore can also be dicovered by bicycle. Scenic roads, and alternative routes to those followed by the main traffic and some real cycle paths offer the visitor an alternative way of visiting various parts of the lake.
    Lake Maggiore has also several golf courses which can be easily reached by car.

    Enjoy music and concerts during summer time: Stresa Music Festval, Baveno Festival Giordano, Nights Of Notes - the musical feast which for years has enlivened summer evenings in Verbania and neighboring towns, Moon and Stars Locarno, Jazz Cat Club Ascona.

    Zermatt and the Matterhorn: Europe's most widely recognized mountain is the Matterhorn, whose distinctive profile provides the stunning backdrop for the Swiss town of Zermatt. You might think this is too far to travel from Lake Maggiore, but it's actually only about 2.5 to 3 hours away by road or train. An easy way to get here (and for about the same price or less than driving or taking the train) is on a Zermatt and Matterhorn Day Trip from Stresa. An air-conditioned coach will take you through the Ossola Valley and high into the mountains as you cross the scenic Simplon Pass. After a photo stop at the Belvedere panoramic viewpoint, you descend from the pass and travel through the Swiss Alps to the village of Taesch, where a rack and pinion railway climbs the rest of the way into Zermatt. Here, you have an entire afternoon to ride one of the mountain tramways for closer views of the Matterhorn or visit the attractions of picture-perfect Zermatt before returning to Stresa.

    Map

    Please note: the Google Maps are only approximative, the exact address will be given after finalized booking.

    Choose your holiday home

    APARTMENT 1

    • Sleeps 4 Guests
    • Floor area sq m 150 m2 m2
    • WiFi
    • Terrace

    Ground floor with exit to the patio:

    • 1 large living room with dining table for eight
    • 1 kitchen with access to the elegant pillared courtyard with seating area

    Upper floor with exit to the loggia:

    • 1 double bedroom
    • 1 twin bedroom
    • 1 large and modern bathroom (with shower)

    This apartment is particularly spacious. It has been decorated in Mediterranean colors and is equipped with satellite TV, stereo, microwave, electric oven, coffee percolator, iron, hairdryer, dishwasher, washing machine, Internet (via Internet key) and parking space for one car inside the property.

    APARTMENT 1 can be connected to ROOM 2 by a door - the two units together accommodate 6 guests.

    Request BookingAPARTMENT 1
    24 Feb 2024 - 01 Jun 2024
    31 Aug 2024 - 26 Oct 2024
    2160 EUR
    01 Jun 2024 - 31 Aug 2024
    2450 EUR

    ROOM 2

    • Sleeps 2 Guests
    • Floor area sq m 20 m2 m2

    Upper floor with exit to the loggia:

    • 1 small room with double sofabed
    • 1 large and modern bathroom (with bathtub)

    This unit has no kitchen/living room, and it is not rented alone.

    ROOM 2 can be connected to APARTMENT 1 or to APARTMENT 3 by a door - if two units are rented together up to 6 guests can be accommodated.

    Request BookingROOM 2
    24 Feb 2024 - 01 Jun 2024
    31 Aug 2024 - 26 Oct 2024
    630 EUR
    01 Jun 2024 - 31 Aug 2024
    910 EUR

    APARTMENT 3

    • Sleeps 2+2 Guests
    • Floor area sq m 110 m2 m2
    • WiFi
    • Terrace

    Upper floor with exit to the loggia:

    • 1 living room with sofabed 
    • 1 large eat-in kitchen (3 steps to the kitchen)
    • 1 double bedroom
    • 1 bathroom (with shower)

    The apartment is equipped with satellite TV, stereo, coffee percolator, electric oven, iron, hairdryer, dishwasher, washing machine, Internet (via Internet key) and parking space for one car inside the property.

    APARTMENT 3 can be connected to ROOM 2 by a door - the two units together accommodate 4+2 guests.

    Request BookingAPARTMENT 3
    24 Feb 2024 - 01 Jun 2024
    31 Aug 2024 - 26 Oct 2024
    1950 EUR
    01 Jun 2024 - 31 Aug 2024
    2190 EUR

    ROOM 4

    • Sleeps 2 Guests
    • Floor area sq m 30 m2 m2
    • WiFi

    Upper floor with exit to the loggia:

    • 1 double bedroom
    • 1 small bathroom (with shower / 3 steps to the bathroom)

    This unit has no kitchen/living room, but consider that bars and restaurants are just some metres from the property.

    ROOM 4 can be connected to APARTMENT 5 by a door - the two units together accommodate 6 guests.

    Request BookingROOM 4
    24 Feb 2024 - 01 Jun 2024
    31 Aug 2024 - 26 Oct 2024
    920 EUR
    01 Jun 2024 - 31 Aug 2024
    1300 EUR

    APARTMENT 5

    • Sleeps 4 Guests
    • Floor area sq m 110 m2 m2
    • WiFi
    • Terrace

    Upper floor with exit to the loggia:

    • 1 living room
    • 1 kitchen
    • 1 double bedroom (3 steps to the bedroom)
    • 1 large bathroom (with shower)
    • 1 twin bedroom in an attic floor

    The apartment is equipped with satellite TV, stereo, microwave, electric oven, coffee percolator, iron, hairdryer, dishwasher, washing machine, Internet (via Internet key) and parking space for one car inside the property.

    APARTMENT 5 can be connected to ROOM 4 by a door - the two units together accommodate 6 guests.

     

    Additional information:

    • Each unit has an exit to the upper floor loggia.
    • The upper floor loggia has 3 seated areas for the larger units (1, 3, 5).
    • The garden and pool are conjointly used.
    • 1 cot and 1 high chair available on request.
    • There is a parking inside the property for 3 cars (one car for each of the larger units 1, 3, 5). Furthermore there is a public carpark in the village.
    Request BookingAPARTMENT 5
    24 Feb 2024 - 01 Jun 2024
    31 Aug 2024 - 26 Oct 2024
    1890 EUR
    01 Jun 2024 - 31 Aug 2024
    2190 EUR

    Weekly rates in

    Location Our evaluation Interior
    Villa sul Lago 24 Feb 2024 - 01 Jun 2024
    31 Aug 2024 - 26 Oct 2024
    01 Jun 2024 - 31 Aug 2024
    Availability
    APARTMENT 1
    4 PAX 4
    2160 EUR 2450 EUR N/A Request BookingAPARTMENT 1
    ROOM 2
    2 PAX 2
    630 EUR 910 EUR N/A Request BookingROOM 2
    APARTMENT 3
    2+2 PAX 4
    1950 EUR 2190 EUR N/A Request BookingAPARTMENT 3
    ROOM 4
    2 PAX 2
    920 EUR 1300 EUR N/A Request BookingROOM 4
    APARTMENT 5
    4 PAX 4
    1890 EUR 2190 EUR N/A Request BookingAPARTMENT 5

    Check availability

    1. Please complete the following form so that we can provide fast service in checking availability. 
      All fields marked with * are required.
    2. Click the green Submit button below to send your inquiry.
    3. If the villa/apartment is available, you can make your reservation after having received our response.
    4. Please also read How To Make A Reservation.

    Request availability

    Property information
    Your travel dates (remember: Saturday to Saturday)
    Your travelling party
    About you

    Callback

    Thank you for another minute:

    Newsletter

    PRICE FOR THE WHOLE VILLA / 15 people:
    8390 EUR per week in high season
    6590 EUR per week in mid season

    During low season from beginning November until end of February are available only unit 1, 2, 3 rented together for 8+2 people: price on request.

    RENT INCLUDES

    • Bed, bath and kitchen linens
    • Pool towels
    • Electricity
    • Internet WIFI connection
    • Maid service (3 hours house cleaning per week)
    • Final cleaning
    • Pool cleaning
    • Garden maintenance

    EXTRAS

    • Utility deposit (unused portion of the utility deposit will be refunded in cash on departure): EUR 50 per week per unit for heating.
    • Heating (if required): metered
    • Additional bed in Apartment 3 and 5 if maximum capacity PAX is exceeded: EUR 150 per week
    • Baby bed: EUR 100 per week
    • Exclusive pool (the owner will not use the pool): EUR 500 per week.

    SECURITY DEPOSIT

    EUR 200 per unit cash deposit are due on arrival.

    SERVICE ON REQUEST (please enquire with us when booking)

    • Advanced grocery shopping
    • Catered dinners from a nearby restaurant

    NOTES

    • Reservations from Saturday to Saturday
    • Pool opening dates: May 4th - September 28th 
    • For more than 3 children, please enquire.
    • The owners and staff live on the property, and it is not possible to invite external guests at the villa.
    • Upon request and approval of the owner a late arrival is possible between 7 and 9pm for an extra fee of EUR 50.
    • Save 4%: Book now our special not refundable rate and save 4% on the listed price. If customer pays the full amount upon reservation, he immediately benefits of a 4% discount. In case of cancellation, the entire amount paid will not be refunded. Please note: This offer is not valid for last minute bookings. Please check with us upon booking.

    Similar Houses

    • La Perla

      What a piece of luck for those staying here! A cottage right on the lakeshore

      As from
      2640
      per week
      • Sleeps 5+1 Guests
      • Bedrooms 3 Bedrooms
      • Bathrooms 2 Bathrooms
      • Floor area sq m 185 m2 m2
    • Casa Vanni

      Cottage with garden and shared pool

      As from
      2350
      per week
      • Sleeps 4+1 Guests
      • Bedrooms 2 Bedrooms
      • Bathrooms 1 Bathrooms
      • Floor area sq m 90 m2 m2