lake orta

As some other visitors already mentioned, Lake Orta and it's small town is a good point to travel around and visit many attractions of the area. We stayed 5 days in a 3 star hotel which was fairly good, found many attractions and enjoyed some very good dinners. The overall price was much cheaper then we would have paid in the more known locations. But a few month later I got the "Price": First the rental company took off my credit card 120 € without informing for what. It took 3 month after they explained that is is an administration fee for three traffic violations, but they did not tell the type of violation, neither the places. A few month later I received three letters from the municipality of Orta, claiming I made 3 traffic violations in the town each with a fine of 120 €. Believe it or not, the automatic camera made 3 pictures on the same spot in a street where I parked without having noticed the sign (as it turned out, there was written something in Italian saying that parking was prohibited after 19:00). We never will visit this place again - no need because we visited all attractions.

Lake Orta is one of the smaller and less known lakesIts natural beauty, sorrounded with mountains, still water, a small island, all make for memorable scenery.Orta is less known on the tourist trail, and therefore less traffic to contentd with.pleasant walks from and around San Giuliothe hotels are good

Although Orta is a lovely place to visit, beware of parking violations. We visited in June of 2013 (only option in review was Dec. in 2013, but we were there in June of 2013) and just now were presented via registered mail with a traffic violations for 120 Euros! We had already paid 40 Euros to the Rental Car Company several months after visiting. We were looking for a parking space and are accused of driving in a restricted area.We all know Italy is in dire need of money, but this just serves to alienate tourists who are simply looking for a parking space.We have no idea where the restricted area is, since the town is way too small to drive in. Will I ever go back to Orta? Don't think so.

Away from the hustle and bustle of Como or Magioire, but still plenty to do for a few days. The town has plenty of great restaurants and bars and not having to rely on the car fir a few days made a nice change.

Coach excursion to Lake Orta from Stresa was unhappy experience as we were dropped at head of extremely steep, long descent by flights of steps and narrow, twisting paths to complete journey on foot. Warning of this difficulty should have been given, the descent and especially the ascent from the lake challenged all but the superbly fit.

San Guilio d'Orta is a lovely small town on the lake with an interesting island that can be reached by boat to explore. The lake is small with several nice small towns and few tourists.

Less crowded than the larger lakes e.g Garda and Maggiore, but with impressive scenery. the town of Orta is well worth a visit as is the quaint little island of San Giulio. On the downside a more frequent water bus service from Pettenasco to Orta would have been appreciated.

If in this area do not miss this little town on Lago d'Orta with the beautiful island in the lake sporting a monestary. The town is wonderful to walk and grab a sandwich while sitting on the quay.

Lake Orta is just BEAUTIFUL.Definitely recommended for those that:- like walking- don't rely on cars- couples / friends- not too family friendly- like sitting and eating and people watching- can amuse themselves and don't rely on tourist attractionsIt's really a gorgeous quiet and lovely little town. Lots of places to eat and highly recommended for the explorer!

The Lake is stunning, quiet and not over developed would have preferred more boat trips to be available.

The town is fll of winding roads full of beautiful shops and small restaurants where you can taste the local dishes and drink delicious wines. Prices were good considering that it was high tourist season and the residents were very friendly and helpful giving info on the area. I was staying on an island on Lago Maggiore and the drive from there was pleasant and about an hour long. The town is very picturesque and offers lovely benches along the lake front where the visitor can sit and enjoy the view of Isola di San Giulio. Boat transportation to the island is easy, you get the ticket right at the shore in front of the boats. On the island there really isn't much to see since it is home to a cloister monastary and you can only walk around the walls which take you through a narrow walkway around the island. There is only one little souvenir shop and one little cafè/restaurant so don't plan on spending too much time there. The view of the lake from the town or the island is beautiful and worth visiting to see. It was mushroom season and the town/area is know for it's many Porcini mushrooms so the air was full of the aroma of these delicious mushrooms and all restaurants served exquisite local dishes including them. You must them to believe how aromatic and delicious they are.

Especially if you stay in a hotel in town you should be aware that you might get a fine even almost a year after your stay. That is what appended to us. Theoretically if you tell the hotel you are arriving and if you tell them your license plate you can enter the town's restricted area without getting a fine. The fact is there is a camera at the entrance of town. So: we stayed at the Leon d'Oro Hotel. We did enjoy our stay there and we told them our license plate number only just after we arrived at the hotel (1st of October 2013). Now September 18, 2014 I got a letter stating that I should pay 70 Euros for having entered illegally. I understand it is good to protect the town center form traffic but I am not satisfied with the hotel's service and the way things are handled to replenish the towns funds abusing tourists that stay in local hotels.

It's a must to spend some quality time on this island. The local Stresa travel agency offers a good trip on Thursdays, but it did not allow enough time to appreciate Lake Orta. Take the bus from Stresa a one hour ride and enjoy more time there.

Lake Orta was one of the highlights of our recent holiday on Lake Maggiore. There is an almost mystical atmosphere on the Island of San Giulio most of which is occupied by a walled convent where the sisters live a life of silence and make exquisite tapestries and silks for specific commissions, including those from the Vatican itself. It was a wonderful entry point to Orta itself - a village which is the Italy of your dreams. l would love to stay there for the whole summer.

The lake was superb, clean, quiet, with a huge range of bird life, and stunning views, and wonderful boat trips.