Losing yourself in the evocative and enveloping atmosphere of Orta, the eighteenth-century villas reflected in the lake...
It is said that visiting Lake Orta is like travelling back in time.
A favourite place for romantic souls, the village is a maze of picturesque streets and narrow cobbled alleys, flanked by old stone walls with triangular architraves above the doors.
The small squares, reminiscent of the campielli of Venice, are alive with craft shops, antique shops and lively cafés.
The village and its history are not complete, however, without mentioning the only island in Lake Orta: San Giulio.
According to legend, the island was at that time infested with snakes and dragons, obvious symbols of evil or pagan practices that the foundation of the Church was to destroy. The local fishermen were naturally afraid of the monsters and refused to take Giulio to the island. However, determined and brave, he reached the island by throwing his cloak over the water and by walking on it, he was taken there as if by magic.