Castelseprio Archaeological Park - Church of Santa Maria Foris Portas - Santa Maria Assunta

Located between the upland and the valley of the River Olona, Castrum Sibrium was a military stronghold in Roman times and used over the following centuries by the Goths, Byzantines, Longobards and then the Visconti. Ottone Visconti, Lord of...

Villa Toeplitz and the Castiglioni Museum and Park

Villa Toeplitz stands imposingly on a hill to the east of Sant'Ambrogio, an area of Varese at the foot of Sacro Monte. The villa is currently home to one of the decentralised branches of the University of Insubria. The park...

Masnago Castle and Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

Masnago Castle features architecture from many different periods ranging from the Middle Ages to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. With a tower and splendid frescoed interiors, this mediaeval fortress feels more like a stately home than...

Palazzo Estense and Gardens

One of the public buildings in Varese that is well worth a visit is Palazzo Estense, which was the summer and autumn residence and court of Francesco III d'Este, the Duke of Modena and Lord of Varese. It was built to the designs of the...

Varese: the old town

The old part of the city of Varese is quite distinctive with ancient porticoes and galleries where the city’s traders have plied their wares since time immemorial. When strolling around the streets if you raise your gaze you can see the...

Villa Panza and the Panza Art Collection

Surrounded by splendid gardens covering 33,000 sqm, Villa Panza overlooks the city of Varese from the hill known as Biumo Superiore. More than one hundred works of art by contemporary artists are displayed in the villa’s halls and large stables...

Lake Varese: the cycling route and footpath

Lake Varese lies at the foot of Mount Campo dei Fiori and is bordered by the city of Varese and another eight towns in the province.
Schiranna is one of Varese’s most popular lakeside destinations with visitors as it also offers the Zanzi...

Isolino Virginia

Isolino Virginia is one of the oldest pile-dwelling settlements in the Alps and was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2011 as part of a serial property known as the “Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps”. The tiny islet is home...

Sacro Monte of Varese

Sacro Monte (Sacred Mountain) is the finest example of history and art in the Varese area. It is one of the nine sites known as the Sacri Monti (Sacred Mountains) of Piedmont and Lombardy that were inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage...

Villa della Porta Bozzolo

Built in the sixteenth century as a country residence, Villa della Porta Bozzolo later became a country seat for the aristocracy. An impressive Italian garden was later added, which is now considered to be one of the most majestic examples of...

Lake Lugano

Situated on the border between southern Switzerland and northern Italy, Lake Lugano, which is also known as Lake Ceresio, is a glacial lake in the canton of Ticino and the Provinces of Varese and Como.
One of the most beautiful subalpine...

Lake Monate

As one of the cleanest lakes in Italy, Lake Monate is perfect for swimming and water sports with plenty of beaches around the small towns of Travedona-Monate and Cadrezzate. Keen fishermen are in their element on Lake Monate as the abundance of...

Lake Comabbio

Lake Comabbio is home to a diverse range of wildlife and flora that has found the perfect habitat in which to thrive, partly thanks to the complete ban on the use of motorboats.

The lake takes its name from the charming village of...

The Borromean Islands: Isola Bella, Isola dei Pescatori and Isola Madre

A trip around the Borromean Gulf never fails to leave visitors speechless! The archipelago of Borromean Islands is situated on Lake Maggiore and includes: Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori.

Isola Bella is a place of...

Volandia Park and the Aviation Museum

Volandia has a fantastic exhibition that takes visitors on a journey through the history of international aviation, with a special focus on some of the legendary companies from the Varese area, Lombardy and Italian industry. The exhibition is...

Torba Abbey

Set deep in the countryside north of Varese by the Castelseprio Archaeological Park, the site of Torba Abbey is home to more than a millennium of history. It started out as a military outpost towards the end of the Roman Empire and later fell...

Visconti di San Vito Castle

The castle was built in the thirteenth century and lived in by the Visconti family from 1251. Part of the west facade was altered during the 17th century, as were the interiors, which were renovated in the Baroque style with exquisitely...

Monte San Giorgio

Visit these places and the fossil museums and discover a fascinating lost world that dates back over 200 million years. Monte San Giorgio is regarded as the world’s best fossil record of marine life from the Middle Triassic, a geologic epoch...

Painted Villages

The Varese province is also home of the painted villages: little towns and municipalities hidden in the beautiful green area of Varese and the surroundings known for frescos, paitings and draws on the walls of the houses. These open-air pieces...

Waterfalls

Among the green of our province there are several marvelous waterfalls.

Ferrera waterfall - Situated in the municipality of Ferrera the waterfall is also known by local people as Fermona. It is located about 30 meters just below the...

Luino

Situated on the lakeshore at the end of the Valtravaglia valley, about 4 km far from the Swiss border, Luino is the main town of the lombardian side of lake Maggiore. You'll find yourself in a typical, elegant and characteristic lake town,...

Laveno Mombello

Laveno is the one of the main touristic towns of the lombardian side of lake Maggiore, it is well known for its marina, link to the piemontese side. It is situated between the blue of the lake and the green of the surrounding mountains,...

Panperduto

A gem of industrial hydroengineering, Panperduto represents an area of great interest to make visitors aware of cultural, historical, agricultural and environmental heritage. 

Located on the banks of the Ticino river, at Somma Lombardo...

Villa Torelli Mylius

Villa Mylius is a tyical Italian Villa situated in the centre of Varese. Originally the site was a property of Padri Gesuiti of Varese and was founded in the XVIII century. The site was made of a simple farmer's house, which became the core of...

Angera

The village of Angera is one of the most beautiful on the lombard shore of Lake Maggiore: it is an open-air museum that includes sites of artistic and cultural interest, environmental goods and a lakefront with beautiful landscapes. The alleys...

Frera Museum

Frera was an italian motorcycle company, open and active in Tradate, Varese from 1905 to 1936.

The museum of the motorcycle, actually located and open in the old company factory, presents the history of Frera and it is divided into two...

Lake Maggiore villages

The lombardian shore of lake Maggiore is a pearl that hides tiny villages and less known hamlets but also small towns: if you are passing by a particular area or you are planning to travel the entire coast, here are the most beautiful and...

Casa Museo Lodovico Pogliaghi

The home-atelier of the great eclectic artist which dates back to the early '900, built by himself, is the first point of interest you can meet after the 14th chapel on the sacred path of Sacro Monte di Varese. Pogliaghi designed it as a museum...

Museo Baroffio e del Santuario del Sacro Monte sopra Varese

Dedicated to the ones interested in the history of Santa Maria del Monte, it includes and shows romanesque sculptures, precious miniatures, a collection of important paintings of Giuseppe Baroffio Dall’Aglio and a section of sacred art from the...

Villa Mirabello Museo Archeologico

Villa Mirabello was built in the eighteenth century on the top of the Mirabello hills. Mirabello means beautiful view, and the villa is aptly named for its panoramic vistas over the lake and Alps. The villa currently houses the Civic Museums,...

Natural Parks

Uncontaminated spaces, green and nature: uncover the best natural parks on our territory.

Parco Regionale del Campo dei Fiori: 6,300 hectares, 17 municipalities and 2 Comunità Montane: the largest park in the province, with trails,...

Ancient mills and rural structures

The land of Varese hides many different rural structures: from ancient watermills to old stone houses in tiny mountain villages that you can only reach by foot or with the cableway. If you wanto to step back into the past, here's a list of...

SHOPPING DISTRICT

Saronno, Busto Arsizio and Gallarate are three of the largest and most industrialized cities in the area of Varese: they are home to several points of cultural interest, but also to markets, shopping centers, small craft shops and interesting...

Via Francisca del Lucomagno

Via Francisca del Lucomagno covers important stages and monastic settlements that were fundamental for European medieval history. The route is replete with historic and religious relics and, in ancient times, allowed pilgrims and emperors to...

Osservatorio Astronomico Schiaparelli

The Campo dei Fiori Astronomical Observatory stands at a height of 1230 meters on the top of the Campo dei Fiori in Varese, where the Citadel of Natural Sciences has been present for over half a century, which includes the “G. V. Schiaparelli...

Taino Park

The Taino Park was built in 1991 on a project by the artist Giò Pomodoro, author of the sculpture "The place of the four cardinal points" located in the center of the park. The idea of ​​the project was that of a public park intended as an...

Parco Naturale Regionale Campo dei Fiori

Within the park, the numerous short and long-distance trails with more or less pronounced gradients are a point of reference for sports and outdoor enthusiasts.

Located a few kilometers north of the city of Varese, the Campo dei Fiori...