Walking Giro del Sole

After visiting Santa Caterina del Sasso, my cousin took us to another beautiful site north of Luino. Giro del Sole can be found in the little town of Agra, Varese. It is only a 20-minute drive north from Luino (see map).

Giro del Sole translate to ‘sunshine’. It is the walking trail around the Ronchetti hills, which takes you up to panoramic lookouts. There are two balconies in which you can observe panoramic views of Lago Maggiore. This trail is quite an easy short walk, as it is very low altitude. The path is wide enough to Mountainbike and along the way you can find areas to practise gymnastics. There is a more challenging walking trail in this area, called Giro della Luna, which takes you around the Bedorè hill.

On our way through the forest, we came across many Italian families and older couples leisurely walking together. We only went up to the first lookout and the view was spectacular. From here you can see the Lago Maggiore, as it divides Lombardia from Piemonte and Italy from Switzerland.

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Luino: a little piece of paradise

Luino is a charming northern Italian lake town with an amazing backdrop of blue skies and mountains. Luckily for me, the majority of my family live here. I have visited Luino a few times now and I never tire of it. It’s a very tranquil place and being able to live like an Italian rather than a tourist is also a bonus. Family dinners, leisurely walks and eating with the locals, made my experience so much more authentic.

Luino is in the province of Varese, which is situated on the Lago Maggiore and the Swiss-Italian border. The lake is the second largest in Italy and is separates Luino from the region of Piemonte. The town itself is quite hilly but the lakefront is flat. The town is well-known for its Mercato di Luino (Wednesday market), which attracts Italians, Swiss, Germans and Dutch.

Luino has become quite a popular tourist destination. I have noticed a lot of changes on the lakefront and many new restaurants. I tried a few while I was here and all were very good (see below). Luino is also very close to the border of Switzerland. We usually drive over the border for shopping trips, chocolates and to visit nearby cities. While we here this time we also visited Lugano and Bellinzona and in Switzerland and Eremo di Santa Caterina del Sasso and Giro del sole in Italy. I will share some photos and information in upcoming posts.


 

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