In between the lake and the sky

in Varese

We're once again with Filippa Lagerbäck, who has decided to show Varese by literally diving into the blue waters from the sky. This experience is for the bold ones who can't wait to throw themselves into an adventure. Ready to be awestruck by the beautiful images and the harmonious sound of the water? Filippa will tell you everything you need to know for your next trip to Varese!

Did you know that there’s a promenade dedicated to lovers? It’s on Ispra’s lakefront (Lake Maggiore), and it’s known as

passeggiata dell’amore (the love promenade).

Recently, Ispra's beautiful lakefront has been expanded to the south, towards Ranco and Parco Della Quassa. But, if you go from the centre to the North, you'll take what locals call the "Passeggiata dell'Amore" (the love promenade), a famous route that runs alongside a sandy beach, a 19th-century dockyard and retro-style kilns, alternating gravel, asphalt and wooden walkways.  It's a flat but bumpy path, not suitable for prams, wheelchairs and bicycles. But if you're up for a walk and love nature, whether it's tamed or wild, you've made the right choice.

The "Passeggiata dell'Amore" is not just wonderful views. It's also beautiful and evocative words, like those of the poems hung on the wall right at the beginning of the promenade. These poems have won the yearly literary competition dedicated to Mario Berrino, an Italian painter from Alassio, a beautiful town on the western coast of Liguria. Can you guess what these poems talk about? Love, what else? Love in all its forms and endless nuances of sensations and emotions.  The competition started in 2007. So, every year, two more poems will be added to the wall to make the hearts of all lovers beat faster.