There's sunshine, warm enough to feel on your skin. There's a roaring fire in the stone hearth. There are bowls of polenta and spezzatino, and plates of potatoes and melted cheese, raclette. There are ski lessons for the little ones and not-so-little ones who are just learning. And there's the Alpyland toboggan for all. 

Where? At the top of Mt. Mottarone in winter. Spend a nice Sunday afternoon there, even if just for the lunch and sunshine part, as well as a little walk around. 

It's about a 30-minute drive from Stresa, winding up the mountain, all the time following signs for Mottarone. It's a toll road, 8 euros per car (as of this writing). You'll drive under the Alpyland track when you're near the top, and then find parking in one of the dirt parking areas or along the road. Parking is all free.

In winter Casa della Neve is the center of the action. Rustic mountain decor, lots of people, large tables of families and friends, warm comfort foods, and views to die for. 

If you take the cableway up from Carciano it takes about 18 minutes, plus another short chairlift ride to reach the top (or a 15-minute walk). Cost: 13.50 euro per adult/8.50 per child 4 to 12 (as of this writing). (stresa-mottarone.it)

Either way, what views...

Late December, just a couple of days left in the year, and the place to be this Sunday afternoon is here on the Promenade in the Suna part of Verbania. 

Nothing terribly fancy, but in its own quiet way Stresa is nicely lit up for Natale. On December 8, on the day of the festa dell'immacolata concezione,  the trees and decorations are put in place, and they will remain here until January 6, l'epifania, when the holiday season is officially over. The Comune has placed matching trees in various spots around the center of town. Above, in front of the bank where via P. Tomaso and via Roma meet. Below, further along P. Tomaso, in front of the supermarket.

It was a horribly rainy Friday, and so I did not go outside to visit the Stresa Friday market. Instead, when the next day dawned stunningly clear and warm, I decided to go to Verbania, where the weekly market takes place each Saturday. I'm very glad that I did. What an easy trip, and a very different, much larger, market.

That's right, it does not say Verbania. If you feel nervous, just ask another person, or the driver, "Per Verbania?" The cost is 2.25 euro each way as of this writing; they can make change for you on the bus.

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Bollito Misto is a traditional Northern Italian dish, much loved and prepared in the cold winter months. The name means "boiled mix," and that is exactly what the dish is. Bollito is most popular in the northern regions of Italy, such as Piemonte, Lombardia, and Emilia-Romagna, and has been so for centuries, as is witnessed by its common inclusion in several historic cookbooks. For example, a cookbook printed in 1694, Lo Scalco alla Moderna (The Modern Steward), includes 38 different varieties of bolliti.

In keeping with this tradition, we recently went to a special Serata Bolliti, featuring an all-inclusive, fixed-price bollito menu. Here's the traditional menu:

From Stresa Sights to each of you.

 Auguri sinceri di un buon Natale e un felice 2013.

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Okay. There's no denying that Stresa is a very different place in winter and summer. Just take a look at Piazza Cadorna:

Summer

Talk about a Christmas vacation! I've experienced Natale, Christmas, so many times in the past two weeks. In four large Italian cities and several smaller places too.

There was the rush of shoppers in the center of  sophisticated Milano, where even Santa was doing his shopping at the Galleria:

continued...

What follows is a selection of posts from this blog regarding skiing in Stresa and beyond. Rather than search the blog, I hope this archive makes it easier to start planning your skiing here. And while this covers the skiing part, don't forget to search the winter tag for other ideas to round out your trip.

Ski Season Opens on Mt. Mottarone

This post from December 2009 is about the opening of Mt. Mottarone for the winter 2009/2010 season. It offers a lot of information about the mountain, and relevant links to important websites.  It also tells of several features at Mottarone that were new at the time, such as the chairlift and motorized sleds; even more activities have been added now, such as Alpyland.

Alpyland, the alpine toboggan ride which opened two years ago at the summit of Mt. Mottarone, has just posted its hours for the winter 2011-2012 season. They are as follows:

For all those who believe that Stresa just goes to sleep during the winter, I hope that our winter posts are starting to show you that there is a wonder to Stresa also in these colder months when the summer attractions are closed. Here's another idea to add to your winter list, how about ice skating? ....

Many of you may think that Stresa is only a summer destination. But I've been very pleased this year to have many readers write to me that they are planning to visit in the winter, especially over the Christmas and New Year period.  Some like to ski, some like the scenery; others simply like the quiet, warmth and solitude that the winter months offer. And some like to experience the many traditions of the season of Natale here. 

Here is our list of some of the 2011-2012 winter events in Stresa and the surrounding area.Whenever possible there are links to a site with more information about each event. Many of those sites are only available in Italian; I suggest trying a translator program such as Google Translate for the information. The list:

Our friend Emma reports in from Mt. Mottarone with lots of good information about the children's ski school. Mottarone has a wonderful program, called Stella Alpina, that provides lessons, fun, and care to children over 3 years of age. Children can be watched for a full day, from 9.30 am until 4.00 pm. Or, individual lessons can be reserved. Here is some other useful information:

Children's equipment can be rented at The Squirrel Rental Shop, which is located near the top of the chairlift, just down the hill from the summit. Here's the link to their rental prices: http://www.mottaroneski.it/it/noleggio_attrezzature.php

And if you will be here for an extended period you can rent all the ski gear you will need from Sportway for 80 euro.

Children's lessons cost 30 euro each at the time of this writing and can be reserved in advance by sending an email to Mottarone at:
info@mottaroneski.it

Current information is available at: www.mottaroneski.com

Ski lift tickets vary in price. Emma tells us the weekends can be busy. Not only are they much more crowded but the prices are higher. Children under 5 years of age can ski free with a parent or guardian.

Children will often see the Mt. Mottarone mascot, Motty, on the mountain, and maybe they'll even ski with him!




Where to eat and warm up after? Of course you can try the very popular Casa della Neve near the chairlift. Warm up by the fire and with some of the famous fil da fer (that's for you, and the italian version of hot chocolate, cioccolata calda, for the kids!) But if you don't feel like a big meal to-do Emma suggests the Bar Alpi, which is situated at the bottom of Baby 1, next to The Squirrel Rental Shop. She recommends their light lunches and panini, and if it is one of those warm sunny skiing days you can enjoy your break on their outdoor tables.

Here's some beautiful proof that winter has indeed arrived, at least in the mountains above Stresa. I share with you here some photos taken at Alpyland on a crisp and clear day, from the starting platform of the toboggan run. Alpyland will be a four-season attraction, and you may recall from our earlier posts about it, it is safe for children of almost any age. Its speed range is from very slow to moderately fast, and small children can be strapped in with an adult behind them. Basically it works by releasing a brake. That is, you release the brake to the speed you want. Removing your hands will automatically brake the tobaggan.

Not bad these views, no? Here's a refresher on some of the important information to remember about Mt. Mottarone and Alpyland in the winter. Alpyland sits at the very summit of Mt. Mottarone. Remember that to reach it from Stresa you'll take the cableway up from the Carciano ferry stop, and then at the top of the cableway you will walk a few meters and take the chairlift to the summit and Alpyland. You can also arrive by auto, on a toll road that winds up the mountain. Parking is on the other side of the summit. From that point one must walk up the hill to the summit antenna and over the top to Alpyland. On the parking side you will find the few restaurants, such a Casa delle Neve, and the starting points for the ski runs of Mottarone. It is up here that skis and equipment can be rented.

Fil da Fer served hot at Ristorante Casa della Neve atop Mt. Mottarone.

The winters are long and cold in the mountains of the Italian Alps of Piemonte. The highest mountain in the Alps, Mont Blanc, is near the Italian-French border, and the second highest, Monte Rosa, straddles the Swiss-Italian, not far at all from Stresa. Its peak is clearly visible as we drive into Stresa from Milan, it dominates the view to the north from Mt. Mottarone, and even from Lago Maggiore and the Borromean Islands I can see Monte Rosa. The point is, it's cold up in all those mountains. The people living on Monte Rosa long ago concocted a liquore to help warm the long winter days and nights. The legend has it that it was during a prolonged and brutal blizzard which they passed safely in a shelter stored with foods. They combined their simple mountain distilled whiskey with some of the supplies, and a drink was invented. They called it fildafer. It is a Piemontese dialect word which means threads of iron. Imagine red-hot iron down your throat. That would warm you up...

Today Fil da Fer is produced by the Distilleria Monterosa, using the same ingredients of old. The drink is a mixture of whisky rye, milk, sugar, egg yolks, marsala, and just a hint of vanilla. It can be drank at room temperature, but most often it is heated; now it warms you in two ways. The slightly thick, bright orange liquore is packaged by Distilleria Monterosa in attractive bottles and flasks, making it a nice gift from the region. But the better way to try it is atop Mt. Mottarone, at one of the ski-lodge-type restaurants found there, sitting in front of a fireplace and looking out the windows at the skiers and the snow.

I had my first taste in this way, at Ristorante Casa della Neve. This is one of a few rustic looking restaurants that can be found at the summit of Mt. Mottarone. The back of the restaurant has expansive views of Lago Maggiore far below. The front entrance has an 'undressing' area, with large hooks along the walls, useful for the skiers in winter and the mountain bikers in summer. In the center is a stone fireplace, surrounded by a few couches; they are close enough to the fire to really feel the heat. My fildafer was served hot, in a small glass cup with a metal handle. The drink was warm and slightly sweet. The fire was crackling and hot. Outside the snow was white and the sky crisp and clear all the way to Milano. Those early mountain men really knew how to brighten a cold winter day.

Giuseppe Loda made his first terracotta house when he was 8 years old. He baked it in his grandfather Paolo's kiln. Now, Loda creates nativity scenes of truly spectacular size. His latest work is over 12 meters in length, 4 meters in depth, and features over 100 statues. It is on display in Stresa in Spazio Luparia, an always fascinating little gallery located on Via Bolongaro, just off of the new Piazza Pozzi.

Loda spends an entire year working on each of the enormous presepi. He creates each piece, no matter how minute, by hand and by himself. Loda explains, "I construct all myself, the houses, the vegetation. See those houses in the Arabic style on the hill? I constructed them and also the palms. It is meant to be a homage to the immigrants of the Muslim faith. The lights that shine through the windows of those houses are the types used in their religion." There is also a homage to Stresa in this presepe; don't miss the reproduction of the little train which ran at one time to the summit of Mt. Mottarone.

As Loda learned the art of ceramics and nativity building from his 'nonno Paolo', he is hoping that the passion will again skip a generation and be picked up by his grandson, Eduardo. "To my own two sons I didn't succeed to pass it on," he says. Let's hope that six-year-old Eduardo shows an interest, as talent such as this would be a shame to lose.

The famous Passo del Sempione, the Simplon Pass, which connects northern Piemonte with Switzerland, was closed today due to 37 cm of fresh snow that fell last night. But we know it's winter's last hurrah, as the extended forecast is calling for warmer weather. In Stresa, thoughts are already turning to primavera, spring. Shops are reopening and preparing for the beginning of the tourist season. Gardeners have cleaned up and replanted the flower beds in the piazze. And the National Camelia Exhibition in Verbania is only two weeks away. And so, I offer you one last look at Stresa in winter before we turn our attention and focus to spring.

I’ve received a few mails from readers who are planning to visit the Stresa area this winter with the intention of skiing. I’m pleased to see there is such interest in this, and that people recognize the year-round appeal here. In light of these mails I thought it would be a good idea to gather together some information and sites that may prove helpful.

And don't forget, Mt. Mottarone is also wonderful in spring, summer, and autumn.