Holiday apartment in Ameno: Between Lakes, Trails and Culture

Ameno lies in the hilly landscape between Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore. At the same time, the town is located along the medieval Via Francigena, which connected Gozzano with Orta San Giulio. Those looking for a holiday apartment in Ameno will find a destination where nature experiences, historic trails and art stand closely side by side.

Hills, forests and trails through nature

In the hills of the districts beyond the Agogna, marked hiking trails lead through natural areas. Attentive hikers may encounter fallow deer, roe deer, wild boar, squirrels, foxes, birds of prey and other animals there. The high hills of the Vergante near Ameno also shape the landscape: they are covered with forests of chestnut, beech, pine and birch trees.

Several routes with their own character are available for different day plans. The Anello Celeste circular route is 7.3 kilometres long and leads from Ameno via Vacciago and Lortallo to the monastery on Monte Mesma and back to Ameno. Along the way, the route passes through the Monte Mesma nature reserve. The approximately 11-kilometre-long Anello Indaco is particularly interesting for naturalists because of its wealth of flora and fauna. Along the route, more than 15 information panels describe the environment and the area with images and thematic focuses. The different trail lengths help you adapt your plans to the hiking day you have in mind.

Monte Mesma as a natural and cultural area

The monastery complex on Monte Mesma includes two Baroque cloisters and a church dedicated to Saint Francis. The Piedmont region created the Monte Mesma nature reserve to protect the religious complex and its vegetation. From Monte Mesma, there are views of Lake Orta with its centrally located island and of the Monte Rosa massif in the background.

The Sentiero Alimurgico also combines nature observation with clear orientation. It begins at the unpaved car park opposite Ristorante Monte Oro in Ameno. QR codes provide in-depth information about habitats, botanical characteristics, culinary uses and possible identification errors concerning the plants. This makes the trail particularly interesting for anyone who wants not only to observe the landscape, but also to understand individual plants and their connections more closely.

Art, architecture and historic sites

The Oratorio di San Giovanni Battista houses paintings by Giovanni Antonio De Groot, Giuseppe Zanatta and Tarquinio Grassi. The oratory is a Baroque church built at the end of the 17th century that served as the private oratory of Palazzo Tornielli. At the Museo Tornielli in Ameno, located in the Palazzo Tornielli of the same name, temporary exhibitions, concerts, theatre events, cultural gatherings and conferences form part of the programme.

The Parco Neogotico expands the cultural tour with an unusual garden setting. It contains centuries-old trees, flowerbeds with native species, a well-preserved old icehouse, a tower and fully frescoed backdrops that imitate Gothic architecture. The park was opened to the public in 1920 and extensively restored from 2007 to 2011. The bell tower of the Chiesa Parrocchiale Santa Maria Assunta was built in 1505.

In Vacciago, Casa Calderara in the centre of the town is a remarkable example of bourgeois Renaissance architecture from the late 16th century. The building features a three-part loggia with granite columns and served as Calderara’s home and studio. A collection of sculptures and paintings from the 1950s and 1960s was established there. The Santuario della Madonna della Bocciola is also located along the road between Vacciago and Ameno, in a panoramic position. The Neoclassical building has a quatrefoil-shaped interior, a monumental main altar made of white marble and frescoes by Agostino Comerio from the 19th century.

The right holiday apartment for your travel rhythm

When choosing a holiday apartment in Ameno, you can focus on your own interests: Nature-based discoveries and longer trails point towards the Anello Indaco and the Sentiero Alimurgico, while Monte Mesma, museums, churches and historic architecture shape other days of your holiday. This keeps Ameno interesting for trips where several people want to combine different interests.

Other places for orientation

Other destinations for planning your holiday in the surrounding area: Mezzomerico, Castelletto Sopra Ticino, Trecate, Maggiora, Ghemme, Pella, Agrate Conturbia, Arona

To the higher-level travel overview: Novara.