Holiday Homes at Lake Orta

VILLA GELSOMINA | Overview of the apartments 

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Winter

View of the island and Lake Orta, taken from Villa Gelsomina

Monte Rosa from the balcony of Paradiso

Lake Orta is great in winter.  The area offers exhilarating walks with fantastic clear mountain air (we provide descriptions of local walks starting from the villa).  In winter time, you can drive up to Macugnaga (international skiing resort) or Santa Maria Maggiore for a day's skiing or sledging, or ski on the nearby Mottarone with has some 7 lifts, 10 pistes, all hire facilities, and several restaurants.  To reach the Mottarone, you can drive up from Armeno, or take the cable car up from Stresa.

The villa is open throughout the year, and is very well built with full insulation and double glazed windows throughout, and independent gas central heating in each apartment.  Villa Gelsomina is ideal for a mixed holiday with some walking, some skiing, snowboarding and sledging, and of course great local restaurants and lovely local villages...

Villa Gelsomina in winter

Villa Gelsomina

Villa Gelsomina is situated in the village of Lortallo, in a superb setting on the brow of the ridge running along the east side of Lake Orta, some 200 metres (in altitude) above the lake.  Villa Gelsomina was built to a very high specification in the local style, and with holiday rentals in mind.  All apartments have a view of Lake Orta.  Villa Gelsomina is in a quiet no-through-road and has parking spaces in a parking bay directly in front of the house.  The local Comune keeps the local roads completely clear of snow, and we keep all the paths in the grounds open at all times.  

The apartments in Villa Gelsomina are Panorama (sleeps 4), Paradiso (sleeps 6 to 8), Dolce Vita (sleeps 2 to 4), Ciao Sole! (sleeps 4 to 6), and Ciao Italia! (sleeps 4).

Villa Gelsomina in winter

The balcony of Paradiso, with superb view of Lake Orta

Local Facilities

Villa Gelsomina is 3 km by road from the local centre of Orta San Giulio.  The whole area is extremely well serviced by shops.  There is a great restaurant (the Vecchio Circolo - web site www.ilfierobecco.it ) just 5 minutes walk from Villa Gelsomina (without going on the road!), and we provide a long list of recommended local restaurants in your location pack.  There are many places to visit in the local area, lots of wonderful places for day trips for adults and children, great walks (we provide in your location pack five favourite local walks for you to try), and a good selection of sporting and other local activities are available.

Villa Gelsomina in winter

Monte Rosa, island, and bamboo in the grounds of Villa Gelsomina 

Lake Orta

This wonderful little lake (Lago d'Orta in Italian, Lacus Cusius in Roman times) is still little known outside Italy, even though it is the "next lake along" from Lake Maggiore.  It lies in the foothills of the Alps, with low hills at the south end of the lake, but higher mountains at the north end (the Mottarone, which lies between Lakes Orta and Maggiore, is just under 1500 metres - great view of seven lakes, by the way!).  The scenery of Lake Orta is gentle - and inviting! - just as the local people are warm and hospitable...

Monte Rosa from Villa Gelsomina

Getting there

Many of our clients arrive by air at one of Milan's airports (the nearest, Milan Malpensa airport, is just 24 miles away) and pick up a hire car, often taking advantage of the cheap flights that are now available. See our table of flights for information on airlines flying from the U.K. to the region.  For U.K. holidaymakers who prefer to drive, it's an easy two day drive.  For full details of air, road, and rail transport to the area, click here.

Villa Gelsomina in winter

Comparison of low season costs of apartments in Villa Gelsomina

Costs are for the apartment per week, fully inclusive of electricity, hot water, gas for cooker, bed linen, and standard size towels.  Heating costs (reasonable use policy) are also included. 

Arrivals (after 4pm) and departures (by 10am) are flexible throughout the Winter period.

The superb view of the Isola San Giulio and Monte Rosa

Next Steps

Do you want to compare all other apartments, check availability, or are you ready to book?  

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