Have you ever returned home from holiday feeling worn out, having spent several days rushing frantically from one destination to another? Did you have time to savour the place? Notice how the landscape and people changed along the way? Chat up local people and get to know them better? Probably not.

The Slow Travel movement has evolved as an answer to fast travel where skimming over as many sights as possible is the rule. Slow travel emphasises the need to savour each moment of your trip; build a strong connection to the place you’re visiting and the people who live there. It involves reducing the radius and pace of your excursions and taking the time to explore an area in detail, mixing with local people and slipping naturally into the pace of their culture. Italy’s Lake Maggiore, with its bonanza of intriguing historical spots, delightful lakeside communities and generous doze of friendly people, is the ideal Slow Travel destination.

Fifty-four kilometres long, Lake Maggiorre is Italy’s second largest lake. So for the purpose of slow travel, it would be wiser to explore the southern half during the course of one vacation. Lakeside destinations can be explored by car, ferry or a combination of both, just as my wife and I, accompanied by our two-year-old son, did recently.

The use of a car enabled us to extend our excursions beyond the immediate vicinity of the lake, but driving is not essential. The state-run ferry service, Navigazione Lago Maggiore, is an efficient transport system that allows you to reach most worthwhile destinations comfortably.

If you buy free circulation tickets, you will have the freedom to change plans at a moment’s notice and linger in places that have caught your fancy. Travelling by ferry, you avoid the chore of driving along the busy lakeside roads and will have the leisure of absorbing the spectacular scenery around the lake from the water. In addition, sipping an espresso at the ship’s bar, you can easily make friends with the locals and learn about their customs.

A convenient base is an essential requirement for slow travelling Lake Maggiore. The towns of Stresa and Angera are both excellent prospects.

Stresa is centrally located and has a long tradition for hosting visitors. During the late 1800s, it became a must destination for young people embarking on their cultural grand tour of Europe. Charles Dickens, Stendhal, Lord Byron and Ernest Hemingway were among the regulars. The city’s medieval origins are overshadowed by aristocratic villas and gardens, such as Villa Pallavicino, that proliferated during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

As we rambled along the lakeside garden promenade, flanked by sumptuous historic hotels with balconies facing the broad expanse of the Borromean Gulf and its exotic islands, we could sense an air of aristocracy that still lingers from a bygone age.

Most of Lake Maggiore’s star sights are within an hour’s boat ride or less, making Stresa a convenient starting point for excursions.

By contrast, Angera, located in the southernmost part of Lake Maggiore is a city that ticks at a slower pace. Still, it is a prominent stage on the ferry route, so if you favour tranquillity over prestige, it is an excellent base. Angera is also a green city. The lakeside promenade is lined by a sprawling, green park and open air tables, shaded by huge lime and chestnut trees, which make excellent spots for a snack and a chat.

The Rocca Borromea is the city’s dominating feature; a fortalice that stands guard over the lake from its towering limestone pedestal. Owned by the illustrious Borromeo family since 1449, the castle is immaculately preserved and the Sala di Giustizia (law court) is a wonder.

The Borromean Islands are Lake Maggiore’s beauty spots. Isola Bella, with its peculiar vessel shape, is the celebrity.

Isola Madre, on the other hand, with its 16th century palace and eight-hectare botanic park, has a wilder aspect. Free roaming peacocks, pheasants and parrots add flavour to the already spicy atmosphere of the island.

Keeping to the garden theme, Villa Taranto in Pallanza represents the realisation of a dream. Scotsman Neil McEaharn designed this impressive 16-hectare botanic park during the early 1930s. An eclectic collection of exotic plants was assembled from all corners of the globe. Wandering along Dahlia Avenue amid an immense variety of form and colour, and later, standing by the pool to see reflective sheets of water flowing down successive floral terraces, we reached an inevitable conclusion – Villa Taranto is a triumph in design ingenuity.

The land around Lake Maggiore was not agriculturally productive, and past inhabitants had meagre lives. Working at the mercy of nature, they frequently implored divine aid. Such deeply-rooted religious convictions produced the monastery of Santa Caterina del Sasso Ballaro, built in the 12th century.

As we approached by boat, the monastery buildings looked like overhanging extensions of the towering cliff face to which they clung. Already out of breath from the steep ascent to the monastery, we were almost knocked over by the awesome scenes framed within the pillared arches of the cloister.

Nature has embellished Lake Maggiore with a crown of bordering peaks and Mount Mottarone, at 1,491 metres, is one of the highest. On a clear day, the views from the summit are outstanding. Mottarone is easily accessible from Stresa via funicular, although it can also be reached by car or foot.

The funicular ride takes just 20 minutes and a short slog to the summit will reward you with a bird’s eye sweep that includes no fewer than seven lakes, the plain of Lombardy and the Alps. It is from the woods on Mottarone, a favoured haunt of Piedmontese mushroom hunters, that many restaurant kitchens are supplied with much valued mushrooms that garnish fabled dishes.

The city of Arona faces Angera. It boasted its own imposing Borromean fortress before it was dismantled by Napoleon in 1800. Walking along the lakeside promenade you can enjoy views of Angera and the surrounding green-lined lake shores. Eventually, the walk leads to Piazza del Popolo, overlooked by the 15th century Casa del Podestà, with its typical medieval arched portico, and the 16th century Madonna di Piazza church.

If you delve away from the lakeside, Arona has little surprises in store. Via Camillo Cavour is a quaint cobbled street lined with tiny, chic shops. Be warned though – at lunchtime life comes to a standstill. Just north of the city centre, a winding road leads up to the colossal statue of San Carlo Borromeo, the presiding saint on Lake Maggiore, known affectionately as Il San Carlone.

Exploring each spot on foot, you will discover countless hidden gems – a delightful secluded piazza; an inviting café tucked in an alley; a lonely, shaded bench beneath a tree with a view that invites you to sit down and gaze for hours. If you rent a car for a few days, you can stumble upon little out-of-the-way spots that are unspoilt by crowds – places like the tiny hillside village of Massino Visconti, Sesto Calende on the Ticino river and the smaller lakes of Orta, Comabbio and Monate, each with their own riveting tales to tell.

Slow travel may be laid-back and relaxing, but to reap its full benefits, you have to set out with determination. Immersing yourself into foreign culture is a greater challenge than flitting through major tourist sites. It takes guts to start up a conversation with a complete stranger. Don’t be daunted though.

The Lombard and Piedmontese people who live around Lake Maggiore are kind and warm-hearted, and if you make a first step, they often reward you with earnest friendship. Go slow and you’ll come back from Lake Maggiore refreshed and with a snug feeling of having just left behind a second home.

How to get there

Milan Malpensa is the closest major airport to Lake Maggiore.

For cheap bus service transfer from Malpensa airport to Lago Maggiore, visit www.sea-aeroportimilano.it/en/malpensa/index.phtml?mod=per_mi_scroll&to=come_arrivare.

For private transfer (more expensive but more convenient) from Malpensa airport to Stresa or Angera, visit www.tourshuttle.com/EN/ITALY/transfer_Milan-Mal­pensa-Airport.html.

For ferry timetables and prices, visit www.navigazionelaghi.it.

Source: Sunday Times, October 12, 2008