We return to beautiful lakeside setting of the Hotel Stella d'Italia, Valsolda in late September for our ever-popular Maestro! Food & Music on Lake Lugano.
The musical highlight of the week are top price seats for the opening night of Puccini's masterpiece Turandot at the magnificent Teatro Sociale, Como.
During our week we will also have an evening with a jazz quartet at the Stella, and a concert with musicians from our own Filarmonica di Valsolda and the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana. Our organised sightseeing includes visits to the beautiful Villa Carlotta on Lake Como, Villa Fogazzaro on Lake Lugano, the lakeside towns of Bellagio & Menaggio on Como and the city of Lugano itself. We also include three dinners, three suppers and two lunches (all with wines included).
Lake Lugano is 70% in Switzerland and 30% in Italy. We stay on the Italian shore of the lake at a hotel that has become a firm favourite with Maestro clients over the past twenty years, the enchanting Albergo Stella d'Italia situated on the lakeside in San Mamete, one of the seven little villages that make up ‘Valsolda’.
“Piccolo Mondo Antico” (“Little old-fashioned world”) is how Italian author Antonio Fogazzaro described Valsolda in his novel of 1895 and little has changed since! The ‘Stella’ opened in 1910 and remains owned and managed by the Ortelli family. It is unique in our experience of Italian lakeside hotels in that ALL rooms face the lake and the only difference between 'standard', 'superior' and ‘deluxe’ is really the decor and size of the room. It has an idyllic setting besides the lake just 2km from the Swiss border and 7km from the centre of Lugano. San Mamete is a small lakeside hamlet with just one square but has a bank, baker, general store, pharmacy and hair-dresser as well as a few bars & cafes.
The hotel and its charming garden invite you to relax and enjoy the lake. You can even have a swim in the lake from the hotel's own lido. While we have several days of sightseeing included, we also plan to allow time for you to relax and enjoy the beautiful lakeside setting. If you want to explore independently a bus runs several times a day between Lugano and Menaggio on Lake Como, stopping outside the hotel in each direction.
Flights from Manchester are with Ryanair and Gatwick with Easyjet inc. 1 checked bag (20kg with Ryanair, 23kg with Easyjet) and a small carry on item.Flights may also be possible from other airports - please indicate this on your Booking Form and we will come back to you with a confirmed cost.
