Discover Baveno

In Baveno, you can combine the history of pink granite with church art, archaeological traces and lakeside trails. The Museo GranUM focuses on a material whose historical and economic importance to the area is at its heart. The Sentiero dei Picasass explores the work of quarry workers and stonemasons. Other highlights include a lakeside promenade more than 1.4 kilometres long, a villa route overlooking historic gardens, and a railway station on the international Milan–Domodossola line. Depending on your interests, your stay can focus on culture, lakeside scenery or outdoor activities.

Granite history in the museum and outdoors

The Museo GranUM is a multimedia information space dedicated to Baveno’s pink granite and its historical and economic importance to the area. The Sentiero dei Picasass in Oltrefiume di Baveno is an open-air extension of the museum. The route includes a landscape installation created in 2018 about the lives and work of granite quarry workers and stonemasons, known in the local dialect as “Picasass”. It also features traces of earlier quarrying in disused quarries. This lets you encounter the material and its significance not only as a topic in an information space, but also in the context of the work once carried out here.

The Municipality of Baveno lists seasonal opening hours for the Museo GranUM. From 1 April to 30 September, it is open daily from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm and from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. From 1 October to 31 March, hours are 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, Monday to Saturday; on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, it is also open from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Check the opening hours again before your visit.

Churches and archaeological traces

The Battistero di Baveno has a square exterior and an octagonal interior. The building includes a 17th-century porch with granite columns. The parish cites recent studies dating the baptistery’s origins to the 5th century. Frescoes from the early 16th century decorate the drum and vault; they have been extensively reworked.

The Chiesa dei Santi Gervaso e Protaso also brings together different periods of art: it contains 15th-century frescoes and 16th-century works attributed to Defendente Ferrari and Camillo Procaccini. A Roman inscription dedicated to Emperor Claudius, whose reign lasted from 41 to 54 AD, can be seen on the façade. The Passeggiata Storico-Archeologica runs through the area of the monumental church complex and offers insights into Baveno as it was around 2,000 years ago. The walk thus combines views of the church with a glimpse into the town’s earlier history.

Lakeside promenade, villas and trails

The Lungolago di Baveno is more than 1.4 kilometres long and offers views across the Golfo Borromeo as far as Laveno. From the promenade, you can head inland to the park at Villa Fedora; the town’s streets lead to the historic centre and the Chiesa dei Santi Gervaso e Protaso. Villa Fedora itself is a residence dating from the first half of the 19th century. Along with views across the gulf, these connections give the promenade a link to the town’s historic sites.

The villa route can be explored on foot along Baveno’s lakeshore or by boat along the shore. It offers views of 19th- and 20th-century villas with English-style parks and diverse exotic gardens. The two options described differ mainly in how you travel: you can explore the route on foot along the shore or view it from a boat.

For hikers, the Sentiero dei Picasass leads to the access point for the Via Ferrata dei Picasass. According to its description, the trail is easy to reach, even for inexperienced hikers. The Via Ferrata is rated EEA PD, takes about two hours and has an elevation gain of 320 metres. Check the equipment requirements before setting out. The hiking trail and the via ferrata route are two different ways to experience the Picasass theme.

Getting there and other interests

Baveno has a station on the international Milan–Domodossola railway line, served by regional and interregional trains. Check the timetable when planning your specific journey. Another option for getting around is the cycling route from Baveno through Feriolo to the Fondotoce Nature Reserve; it passes through Feriolo.

Two multisensory panels about the monumental complex and the Romanesque Chiesa dei Santi Gervaso e Protaso are intended to make Baveno’s historical and artistic heritage more accessible to blind and visually impaired people. Baveno’s traditional cuisine includes lake fish dishes and rice, including whitefish, perch and trout, as well as fried bleak. Products from the mountainous hinterland round out this tradition: mushrooms, chestnuts and traditionally made cheeses. As well as architecture and trails, you can enjoy a distinct culinary connection to the lake and the hinterland.

Discover more destinations: Cannobio, Macugnaga, Omegna, Cissano, Arizzano, Gurrone, Crevoladossola, Varzo.

For the regional travel overview: Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.