Lake Orta is considered one of the most romantic lakes in Italy, quiet and welcoming, full of history and breathtaking views.

Lake Orta, clean and swimmable, is a treasure chest of nature, art and history.

Information- Lake Orta can be reached by car, traveling along the A26 motorway towards Gravellona Toce, exiting at Borgomanero and following the signs for Gozzano. Alternatively you can take the A8 motorway towards Milano Laghi/Gravellona Toce and exit at Arona.

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Geographical description– Lake Orta, the westernmost of the pre-Alpine lakes, originates from the Sempione glacier, and is set among wonderful slopes thick with woods with incredible panoramic points. Lake Orta measures approximately 12.5 km long by 2.5 km wide and is located at a height of 193 meters above sea level. Contrary to what happens to many of the pre-Alpine lakes which have an outlet to the south, the waters of Lake Orta exit to the north giving rise to the Nigoglia stream which then flows into the Strona and, through the Toce river, reaches Lake Maggiore.
Lake Orta is separated from Lake Maggiore by the Mottarone relief and is divided into two basins, northern and southern, by the Orta Promontory.
The shores of Lake Orta are dotted with small picturesque villages, ancient villages and marinas which document the life linked to the past of fishermen and which today instead tell modern stories of sports boats, international tourism and excellence. The main inhabited centers of Lake Orta are Omegna, Pettenasco, Miasino, Orta San Giulio, Gozzano, San Maurizio d'Opaglio, Pella, Nonio.

The pearl of Lake Orta is certainly Orta San Giulio, a romantic town dominated by the Sacro Monte. Orta San Giulio has enchanted writers and men of letters for centuries and is rightly considered a small jewel of medieval architecture with the sixteenth-century Palazzotto located in the central square and with the splendid view of the island of San Giulio, mystical symbol of the entire Lake Orta.

A bit of history- The human presence on Lake Orta dates back to the Neolithic, as evidenced by some archaeological excavations conducted on the island of San Giulio. During the Iron Age the shores of Lake Orta were inhabited by Celtic populations who could be classified as part of the Golasecca culture (a culture of the early Iron Age which developed in northern Italy and which takes its name from the locality of Golasecca ( VA), in Lombardy). With the arrival of the Lombards around the year 570, the lands of the upper Novara area were included in the duchy of San Giulio. In 1219, after a twenty-year dispute between the bishop and the municipality of Novara, the bishop's fiefdom of the Riviera di San Giulio was formally born.

In 1767 the sovereign rights over the territory were ceded to the House of Savoy; However, the definitive transfer of power to the Savoys only occurred in 1817 with the official resignation of the last titular prince-bishop. The municipality of Omegna and the northern part of Lake Orta, however, federated with the municipality of Novara since 1221, following the fate of the Novara territory. Starting in 1926, Lake Orta was seriously polluted by copper and ammonium sulphate discharges from the Bemberg textile industry, which produced rayon. With the closure of the poisonous discharges, a gradual improvement began in the 1980s also following massive liming interventions, i.e. the spreading of thousands of tons of calcium carbonate into Lake Orta carried out by the Institute for the Study of Ecosystems of Pallanza .

Today Lake Orta is clean and suitable for bathing and, according to the ARPA (Regional Agency for Environmental Protection) which carries out 11 surveys every month, the physical-chemical quality of the water is excellent and the biological quality is good. Good and not excellent because the trophic chain (the animal chain) is missing some microbiota. Translated: the water is very clean, but we have not yet managed to restore the conditions in which some of the families of the most delicate living beings that populated the lake can return".

What to see and what to do- The pearl of Lake Orta is certainly Orta San Giulio, a romantic town dominated by the Sacro Monte. Orta San Giulio has enchanted writers and men of letters for centuries and is rightly considered a small jewel of medieval architecture with the sixteenth-century Palazzotto located in the central square and with the splendid view of the island of San Giulio, mystical symbol of the entire lake.

1-If there is one thing you absolutely must do, once you arrive near Lake Orta, it is to walk along the lakeside to enjoy even more the relaxing and romantic atmosphere that is perceived on its enchanting waters.

2-It is definitely worth taking a trip to the western shore of Lake Orta for another romantic walk that will offer a different observation point of the Island of San Giulio. The village of Pella, an ancient village rich in history, enjoys a pedestrian path which, ending near the pier, will allow you to observe the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sasso from afar.

3- From Pella, a car journey, with several curves, will lead the visitor to the "Balcony of Cusio". The breathtaking panorama, visible from the 638 meters high of the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sasso, will allow you to see from the Po Valley to the Alps and from Mottarone to the entire body of water of Lake Orta!

4-The rolling hills behind the town of Orta San Giulio are home to the famous Sacro Monte di Orta, a monumental complex made up of 20 chapels dedicated to San Francesco.

5- Legro, a small, little-known village that captivates visitors with its colours! It is a hamlet of Orta also called "Il paese dipinto", whose houses are embellished with murals, by Italian and non-Italian artists, with a cinematographic theme.

6- The island of San Giulio, the little jewel of Lake Orta, is crossed by a single circular street with a truly unique characteristic: depending on the direction taken it will be called Via del Silenzio or Via della Meditazione.

These are just some of the beauties and curiosities that can be admired, but there is a lot of life in and around Lake Orta, a treasure chest of nature, art and history. The coastal towns of Lake Orta were often described in the works of important writers such as Balzac, Montale, Soldati and Rodari. The writer Gianni Rodari is originally from Omegna and in his works there are numerous references to Lake Orta, as in "C'era due volte il Barone Lamberto", set on the island of San Giulio, and in "Il ragioniere Pesce del Cusio".