Discover Verbania: Remembrance, Culture and Nature

When planning a stay in Verbania, you can choose from a range of interests: remembrance, art, events and landscape. If you are looking for hotels in Verbania, you can start by considering which of these themes you want to shape your trip. Their time frames also differ: one place commemorates an event with a precise date, a light phenomenon is associated with two calendar dates, and the history of the nature reserve goes back to its establishment in 1990.

Places of Remembrance and History

The Parco della Memoria e della Pace is located around the site where the Nazis shot 43 partisans on 20 June 1944. The park also includes a monumental area dedicated to the Resistenza. The “Muro” memorial bears the names of more than 1,200 people who lost their lives during the struggle for liberation. The park therefore brings together a specific event with a precise date and a broader framework of remembrance: the 43 partisans were shot at this site; the names on the Muro commemorate people who died during the struggle for liberation. Those interested in history can explore different dimensions of remembrance in one place.

Art, a Garden Project and a Light Phenomenon

The Basilica di San Vittore contains a fresco by Daniele Ranzoni, artworks from the 15th and 16th centuries, and a 16th-century baptismal font. This offers art history enthusiasts more than one point of interest: a fresco associated with a named artist, works from two centuries, and a baptismal font with its own historical context.

Another historical reference is the garden project at the Giardini Botanici di Villa Taranto. Captain Neil McEacharn began this project in 1931. This specific starting date gives the gardens a different time frame from the artworks in the Basilica or the commemorations at the Parco della Memoria e della Pace: here, the focus is on the creation of a garden project.

At Madonna di Campagna, the point of interest is linked to specific calendar dates and an approximate time. On 25 March and 15 August, at around 5 p.m., a ray of sunlight passes through the rose window and illuminates a fresco of the Virgin Mary. The phenomenon is called the “Miracle of the Sun.” If you want to take this detail into account when planning your trip, the two dates and approximate time are the key points to bear in mind.

Events and Open-Air Arena

Centro Eventi Il Maggiore hosts theatre, music, cinema, dance, talks and multimedia performances. This programme brings together different forms of culture, from stage performances to film and talks. The centre also includes an open-air arena by the lake, with wide views of Lago Maggiore and the surrounding landscape. It can accommodate up to 2,000 people. The variety of the cultural programme and the arena are two distinct aspects of the venue: one describes the types of events on offer, while the other refers to the outdoor space and its capacity. If a particular performance will shape your travel plans, check its date before booking.

Landscape and Connection to the Centre

The Fondo Toce nature reserve was established in 1990. It includes the final stretch of the Toce River and part of its floodplain. A scenic combined cycle and walking path connects the nature reserve with the centre of Verbania and the railway station. This makes it possible to plan a visit around both the landscape and this route. The river stretch and floodplain describe what the protected area includes; the cycle and walking path links it to two specific destinations. When choosing the focus of your trip, you can consider nature, culture and history separately rather than reducing them to a single reason to visit.

Discover more destinations: Cursolo-Orasso, Gurrone, Mozzio, Villadossola, Valstrona, Re, Cadarese, Beura.

See the broader travel overview: Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.