Giardino Botanico Alpinia

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Giardino Botanico Alpinia

9:02 PM |

Dana Kaplan, Stresa Sights |

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The best seat in the house at the Giardino Botanico Alpinia

There are four major botanical sites for which Stresa is known. There is Villa Taranto, where a Scottish sea captain cultivated 20 hectares of beautiful English-style gardens. Isola Madre's gardens were designed in the 1600s by Carlo IV, of the Borromeo family. On Isola Bella there is the fantastic landscaping behind the palace. And high above Stresa, looking down over the other three, is the Giardino Botanico Alpinia.

Plants are clearly labeled in beds

As it name implies, this garden specializes in plants which grow in alpine and subalpine climates. It boasts over 1,000 different species of these. It also has a very fine collection of Asian plants, with species indigenous to China and Japan.

But what it has, most of all, overall, is its location, and its view. Located 800 meters above Stresa, in the mountain valley between Lago Maggiore and the summit of Mottarone, the Alpine Garden is reached by taking the funivia, the Stresa - Mottarone cablecar, from the station at the Carciano boat dock in Stresa.

On the way up

The cablecar has a midstation, where passengers change to the next gondola to continue up the mountain to Mottarone. Or, they can get disembark at this midstation and walk to the entrance to the gardens, 300 meters away.

Here, nature has created a shelf, a natural balcony covering 40,000 square meters. Here, visitors can take in sweeping views of the lake and the mountains. They can stroll along the stone paths which traverse the 4 hectares of gardens. Walk down to the pond. You can even hike back down to Stresa on clearly marked trails. Or, you can just sit on that bench, take in that view...

Three Borromean islands, and Verbania across the gulf

Thanks to the Giardino Alpinia Web site for these photos. There are more, as well as some interesting maps, on the site.The gardens can also be reached by car from Stresa, by driving up Via Binda towards the A26 motorway; head towards Gignese and then take the road labeled to Mottarone.

Web site (English version): www.giardinoalpinia.it/home_eng.htm
The gardens are open from April through October, from 9.30 to 18.00 each day.

Labels: gardens, places to go, spring, summer, walks

2 comments:

girasoli said...: Ooooh, that looks like a great thing to do one day. Can you get off and then later get on to go to the top on the same ticket? Do you think it is better to go to the top first and then stop at the Alpine Garden on the way back down or to stop at the Garden first? Not sure if it fogs in later in the day at the top or what the deal is with the crowds. Is it a popular (crowded) thing to do in the summer time?; April 6, 2009 at 2:48 AM
Stresa Sights said...: Hi girasoli-

Yes, you can get off at both stops if you buy the ticket for that. I paid 13 euro for the round trip ticket all the way to the top, allowing me to stop at the gardens as well; a ticket to the mid-station only was 8 euro, I think.

As to where you go first, up to you of course. It is seldom, if ever, foggy at the top, as there is too much breeze up there.

It is a popular thing to do, and deservedly so; the gardens are beautiful, and the view from the top is breathtaking.

The gondolas run all day long, at 20 minute intervals.

Dana; April 6, 2009 at 8:04 PM

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