At the end of the 19th centurye century, rich Milanese families built on the seven hills of Varese, just 50 kilometers from Milan, beautiful liberty style villas, with floral ornaments and pastel colors, which contribute to the discreet charm of the city, just like the Sacro Monte , located in the heart of the Campo dei Fiori regional natural park, and the pedestrian streets of the medieval city. Nicknamed the “garden city”, it can now be explored on foot and by bike.
Day 1
10 a.m. Campo dei Fiori
As soon as we arrive in Varese, we take bus line C to head straight to the heights and discover the “magnificent vision” mentioned by Stendhal during his trip between Laveno and Varese. From the astronomical observatory, trail 301 leads to the Forte di Orino lookout (1). Before us: the Piedmontese and central Alps, the Verbano, the western Po valley, Lake Maggiore and that of Varese. Tightrope walkers can venture onto the ridges, a variant of the trail (the 307) allows you to reach the Punta di Mezzo (1,226 meters), the highest point of the Campo dei Fiori regional natural park.
Before continuing towards the Sacro Monte, we stop for lunch at Irma, the Varesini’s meeting place. A few steps away, the Grand Hotel Campo dei Fiori, built in 1912, and the old funicular bear witness to a flourishing past, when the rich Milanese came to spend the summer in Varese. The abandoned building is a remarkable example of the Lombard liberty style, recognizable by its soft, pastel colors and its floral style.
2 p.m. Sacro Monte and Sacred Way
Continuing the path, you naturally reach the Sacro Monte site. (2)dating from the beginning of the 17th centurye century, classified as a UNESCO heritage site since 2003. We stroll through the narrow and covered streets of the small town of Santa Maria del Monte before pushing open the door of the Al Borducan hotel-restaurant, more liberty than ever, with its gardens hanging, its wooden rotunda and its period furniture. In the distance, from the terrace of the building, we can see Mount Viso and the Apennines. We end this route with the Sacred Way, a way of the cross dotted with fourteen chapels, the first stone of which dates back to 1604 and whose originality we owe to the architect Giuseppe Bernascone.
4 p.m. From piazza to piazza
It’s time for a treat at the Pirola pastry shop or a gelato (” ice “) at one of the many merchants. In Varese, it’s difficult to recommend one of them, everyone has their favorite café and ice cream parlor. The game then consists of getting lost in the narrow, pedestrian streets of the historic center. Starting with one of its oldest courtyards, cortile del Broletto, dating from the 16the century, or that of Casa Perabo (3), visible from its sculpted terracotta window.
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