How to reach Orta and where to stay

Poetry on the Lake’s guide to Orta: 1- getting to Lake Orta
by air

Nearest airport is Malpensa. From Malpensa to Orta is about 40 minutes by road. You can get a taxi from the airport about 95 euros (2005 fare) for one to four people).Otherwise it means either: going to Novara on the bus linking Malpensa to Novara station (40 mins) and from there taking the train to Orta-Miasino (see below) - beware: last train (or bus substituting) leaves around 7.00 p.m! – or: going to Gallarate (15 mins) on the bus linking Malpensa to Gallarate and then taking the train to Arona (see below). Malpensa shuttle : www.malpensashuttle.com
Other possible airports are Bergamo (Orio al Serio) (40 mins to Milan, 2 hours by road to Orta)) and Linate (20 mins to Milan). There are shuttle services with connections between airports and to Milan Stazione Centrale, then train (see below).
Cheap tickets to these airports are available from Flybe (British European, www.flybe.com), Easyjet, Ryanair (which do good Fly-drive deals) et al. Alitalia and BA Connect often have special offers. (Insist on ‘lake front’ room; ‘lake view’ often means leaning perilously out of a side window to glimpse lake)

trains: from Milan Central Station Novara, Turin, Domodossola.(info at www.trenitalia.it )

Either:(ticket to Orta-Miasino, (about 5 euros)) trains (Milano-Torino, usually platform 4) leave at 18 minutes past most hours, arriving at Novara (40 mins) on the hour (usually the third stop, after Rho and Magenta). At Novara change to Domodossola/Omegna line (usually platforms 7 or 8). Novara - Orta is about 55 minutes. Descend at the stop ORTA-MIASINO ( next stop after Gozzano).
Ask at station bar for a taxi to Orta centre (about 10 euros) it’s a 25 minute walk downhill to Orta - or phone: Arrigoni: mobile 328-391.1670, or 0322-911909 (office) 0322-90286 (home)
In high season there’s a ‘toy train’ plying between the station and Orta.

Or: (ticket to Arona, possible supplement payable), train (Domodossola and Switzerland line) direct Milano-Arona (50 mins). Then take a taxi to Orta (about 40 euros ?).

By Road : from Milan:
Autostrada A8-A26 in the direction of Gravellona Toce, exit Arona, then (turning left at exit of motorway) take the direction Borgomanero, Gozzano, Lake Orta (signposted).
Milan to Orta normally takes one hour by road. Large (pay) carparks at Orta, centre is pedestrian only zone.

2 - Hotels on Lake Orta

hotel info at: www.lagodorta.net www.orta.net

Consorzio Cusio Turismo , Piazza Unità d’Italia 2, 28028 Pettenasco, NO
(+39) 0323-89.259 e-mail: consorzio.cusio@lagodorta.net

Tourist Office Distretto dei Laghi: via Panoramica, 28016 Orta
0322-905 163 fax:905273 e-mail: inforta@distrettolaghi.it inforta@jumpy.it

Hotel Olina : at tel: (+39) 0322-905656
Fax – 0322 – 905645 e-mail: olina@lycosmail.com
Recommended. English spoken. Will arrange airport or station transfers at current prices.
The Hotel Olina offers comfortable rooms at very reasonable prices here and there in the centre (but no telephone in rooms). Also manages (so same contact numbers as Olina) the 3* Hotel Araceli, in the square, good rooms overlooking square and waterfall showers with transparent walls.The breakfasts are reported to be excellent. These hotels have parking for clients up the hill.
Hotel San Rocco 4* - Via Gippini 11, 28016 Orta NO. 0322 911977 fax: 911964 (right on lake, very good restaurant, outside swimming pool), carpark info@hotelsanrocco.it www.hotelsanrocco.it

There are other hotels in or near Orta: Hotel Leon d’Or and Hotel Orta are old hotels (and show it) in the main square by the lake; the small Hotel Contrada dei Monti is in the centre up a quiet cobbled street (pretty but tiny rooms and there’s no lake view), the oriental Villa Crespi offers fantastic Arabian Nights luxury in a park uphill from the lake – 10 minutes pretty walk (but transport provided) to Orta centre; Hotel La Bussola is five minutes uphill by the carpark; Hotel Santa Caterina is a fifteen minutes walk uphill towards station (on road but woods and footpaths behind for walkers). At Pettenasco, a pretty village across the bay, there are three hotelson the lake: L’Approdo (nearer to Orta and with good restaurant) and Il Giardinetto, with swimming pools, kiddies playground, beach etc. (infrequent boat & hotel service to Orta) and the Hotel Riviera

L’Approdo, Corso Roma 80, Pettenasco (carpark, swimming pool, tennis, on lake, across the bay from Orta)
0323-89345/6 fax 89338 info@hotelapprodo.it www.lagodortahotels.com

n.b. With all hotels it is wise to stipulate “fronte lago” (facing lake) rather than “vista lago” (lake view) if you wish to reserve an hotel room overlooking the lake (and avoid hanging dangerously out of a side window in order to see it).
Also: if you stay at an hotel in the centre of Orta, you may wish to have a continental breakfast sitting out in the squares at a pleasant cafè.

Note: Orta has cobbled, sometimes steep, streets. Thick-soled, comfortable shoes are advised. Also a light mac, just in case, and a woolly for evenings.
* * * * * *

3 – What else to do at Orta:
Eating

Poets have liked: Ristorante Olina; the little candle-lit Beutsch in Via Bersani (local dish: Bagna Cauda, crudité in hot olive oil, garlic and anchovy dip); the Edera, up the cobbles by Palazzotto; and – but very expensive – Villa Crespi (Nouvelle Cuisine). And, on the island, Ristorante San Giulio (special lunch menu at reasonable price).
Wines: The Enoteca in Piazza Motta, with a log fire on cold evenings; the Beutsch (see above); and also very pleasant after dinner is the Jazz Caffé in Via Olina. There are other restaurants, pizzerias and cafés which serve food.

Settembre Musicale on the Island

Sunday, 24th September at 4.30 p.m. classical music,pianoforte, at Sala Tallone, Isola San Giulio, The fine pianoforte was constructed by Maestro Tallone, famous worldwide for his excellent pianofortes. His daughter, Elisa, continues the traditional September concerts in the delightful setting of Villa Tallone. Free.


Walks

There are delightful walks round Orta and the lake. 1- Go past the Hotel San Rocco and round the bay. 2 – Climb the hill beginning at the Palazzotto, turn right at the church. At the cemetery either turn left and continue up to Sacro Monte with its twenty 16 C. and 17 C. chapels dedicated to representing episodes from the life of St Francis in life-size terracotta statues, or turn right and descend the hill to Villa Crespi and right again to return to Orta. 3 – From the main square, take the road behind the Hotel Orta and follow uphill to roundabout. Go straight across, continue uphill , taking the path on right by Hotel San Caterina and at top bear right again into woods or left to the village of Legro with its murals.

Shopping

Orta shops sell excellent local red wines from Ghemma, Gattinara, Boca etc or the classic Barolo) and a wide range of cheeses, including goats’, dried cep mushrooms and a fine range of local honeys (try the dark slightly bitter chestnut – castagna – honey or the Melata, from tree resin, both excellent over cheese).

Traditional markets

At Orta on Wednesday mornings in Piazza Motta, knitwear, shoes, leather goods.
At Omegna on Thursday mornings: as at Orta but much more so, plus wooden toys (Pinocchio) and household objects handcarved in the Valle Strona. Also shopping at the market are the women from the Valle in the traditional costumes still in use. Beautiful boat trip (45 mins) up lake, there and back. From Piazza Motta, public ferry at 9.00 a.m. (Omegna, return 11.35 or 2.15). Return fare is 6 euros (2005).

Isola San Giulio
Boats: 3.50 Euro return. (minimum 3 persons, otherwise €10.50 for 1-3 passengers) Public boat € 2. 50 return (2005),also goes to Pella, other side of lake, but apart from walks in woods, not much to see.. On the island : bell tower, 11th century. In the basilica: frescoes and St Giulio’s bones finely robed in crypt. Outstanding Romanesque carved pulpit. Dragon’s bone in sacresty!
Prints of island, rust printed table linen, antiques at the old souvenir shop. Icons painted by the nuns, hand-knotted rosaries, CDs of their Gregorian chant for an “offering” at the Monastery.