Holiday Homes at Lake Orta

Tell me about... Lake Orta

"One can't describe the beauty of the Italian Lakes, nor would one try if one could." - Henry James

Lake Orta, just 12 miles long, is a truly magical place, with a special beauty and peace, and during your first visit, you are quite likely to fall in love with the area, whether for its natural beauty, the warmth of the people, or the beautiful clean water and air. Once you have seen Lake Orta's soft colours by day, and the twinkling of the lights around the lake by night, you will be enchanted...

Lake Orta is situated in the foothills of the Alps: at the south end of the lake there are low hills, whereas at the north end the mountains are much higher (the Mottarone is nearly 1500 metres) and the distant Alpine peaks can be seen. You are well above the heat and haze of the Po plain, and the general effect is of a much gentler - and more inviting! - landscape, compared with some of the larger alpine lakes. And Lake Orta remains a bit of a hidden gem, being not particularly well known, even though it is the "next lake along" from Lake Maggiore.

One of the traditional local occupations is hotels and restaurants - waiters and chefs from Lake Orta work all over the world - and the local people have hospitality in their blood! A major local industry is up-market mixer taps, so you may want to take the opportunity to visit the Alessi factory/showroom at Crusinallo, or the tap museum in San Maurizio d'Opaglio.

For the holidaymaker, the beautiful scenery, amazing local villages, great beaches, superb walking, easy access to the Alps and other Italian Lakes, and wonderful and very reasonably priced local restaurants all make for a fantastic time at Lake Orta.

And we have the perfect holiday apartment for you to stay in...

Do read the Linda Cookson article on Lake Orta from The Independent in 2005, which says it is "awash with mystical history and stunning villages - yet is largely unknown". Read the article here. Rest assured that three years on, it is still relatively unknown and still just as much the magical place that this article so beautifully describes!