The city of Verbania is the most populous center on Lake Maggiore and was formed by the merger of Intra, Pallanza, and other small municipalities. Intra is the town’s historic center; a walk through the beautiful pedestrian area, full of shops and bars where you can have an aperitif in summer or enjoy good hot chocolate in winter, is highly recommended.
Following the scenic lakeside cycle path, you can reach Pallanza on foot (about 30 minutes from Intra); during the walk you can first admire the futuristic shapes of the new “Il Maggiore” theater and then the famous botanical garden of Villa Taranto, open from March to October, which hosts an exceptionally rich variety of flowers and rare plants—so much so that many consider it the most beautiful garden in Italy.
After passing the small hill of “Castagnola,” one of the city’s most exclusive residential areas, you arrive in the center of Pallanza, home to the Landscape Museum, which houses most of the works of the Impressionist sculptor Paolo Troubetzkoy. At the end of the beautiful walk along Pallanza’s lakeside promenade, you finally reach the hamlet of Suna, a charming area full of excellent restaurants and bars, stretching to the slopes of Monterosso.