Our Location
Laqua by the Lake is just 45 minutes’ drive from Milan’s Malpensa Airport and 75 minutes’ drive from the centre of Milan.
Imagine the
quiet of the little village of Orta and the unique nature of its
surroundings, the ideal place for your next trip in quest of relaxation
and wellbeing..
How to reach us
Laqua by the Lake is located in the town of Pettenasco, Via Legro, 33/35. The residence has a private parking for the guests with two charging stations for electic vehicles.
BY CAR: to reach the Resort we recommend taking the Arona motorway exit (A8 Milan-Laghi). You will get here in about 20 minutes.
BY PLANE: the Resort is located just 45 minutes from Milan Malpensa international airport (MXP), one hour and 30 minutes from Linate airport (LIN) and Turin Caselle airport (TRN). A private transfer service is available on request.
BY TRAIN: the railway station of Pettenasco, only 1 km from our residence, can be reached from Milan or Turin, changing trains in Arona or Novara.
You can also ask us to get you permission to land with your helicopter over the hills a short distance from Laqua by the Lake, we will come and pick you up from your landing place.
The medieval village of Orta
The nineteenth century Palazzo dei Vescovi, or Bishop’s Palace, hosts the Benedictine Abbey for the silent order nuns of the Mater Ecclesiae. The current convent goes back to 1973 which originally had just six nuns there, as part of the foundation of the Milanese Viboldone Abbey. In the Abbey today are about 80 Benedictine nuns who preserve and keep alive the tradition of St William of Volpiano, born on the island and who gave a strong contribution to European
monasticism.
We are told of a place in the distant past infested with dragons, serpents and marine monsters, beaten by violent storms: this is the island which according to legend, welcomed San Giulio, or St Julius, at the end of the 4th century when he built his church there to deliver the place from the evils of paganism. Landing there on his cloak, San Giulio faced the beasts who inhabited the waters of the lake, alighting on the island where he later built his 100th church, which was also to be his last.
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LUSH GREEN COUNTRYSIDE BETWEEN THE LAKE AND THE ALPS, THE LITTLE TOWN OF ORTA SAN GIULIO, ONE OF THE 100 MOST BEAUTIFUL IN ITALY, IS EASILY REACHED BY CAR OR BOAT. AT ALL TIMES OF YEAR THE CHARMINGLY ROMANTIC TOWN OF ORTA SAN GIULIO OFFERS STRIKINGLY- COLOURED LANDSCAPES: THE SACRO MONTE AND THE ISLAND OF SAN GIULIO ARE THE MOST WELL-KNOWN ATTRACTIONS, STANDING OUT AGAINST THE STUNNING LANDSCAPE WHERE THE EXCLUSIVE CHARM OF THE ATMOSPHERE ENSURES EACH MINUTE DETAIL IS UNIQUE.
The island of San Giulio
A walk on the island today is a gift for the eyes, offering up an
enchanted scene: the lake and mountains all around are like a beautiful real-life painting.
Over the course of the centuries, the Church of San Giulio has undergone a great many expansions under various architectural
influences. The exterior is in a simple and rather romantic style.
Apart from the basilica, the island offers a pedestrian walk, called the Way of Silence, or Via del Silenzio, adorned with aphorisms on the theme of silence and meditation, making it a perfect place for a contemplative pause for thought.
Sacro Monte
A UNESCO gem at Orta San Giulio.
Dedicated to St Francis of Assisi, Orta’s Sacro Monte, or Holy Mount, is a sanctuary that has grown on the top of a little hill: a privileged
position from which to admire the spectacular views over the Island of San Giulio, the lake and mountains.
Recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site, the Sacro Monte emanates an aura of prayer, meditation and spirituality.
Offer a devotional journey dedicated to St Francis: 20 frescoed chapels, adorned with life-size painted terracotta statues representing the most significant episodes in the life of the saint.
