Agriturismo La Garzonera

The rooms are above active stables, so you do hear the horses at night. A particularly grumpy white horse below us liked banging on the stable door. The rooms have basic furnishings, but were more than enough for us since we were out visiting villages. The road to the stables is in pretty bad shape and takes some care to navigate. A modern car can manage it, though it was bumpy for those of us a bit too big for Italian-sized cars. I spent a week here with my mum, who used to work at the stables about 50 years ago. The area is wooded, with lovely walks and greenery everywhere, and there’s always something going on at the working stables. You can see the horses and walk around. Francesca was lovely and chatty. Breakfast was plentiful for a long day out, with cereal, tea, toast, biscoletta, fresh toasted muffins, and eggs available. It’s about 30 minutes from Lake Maggiore, Stresa, and Baveno, 40 minutes from Fondotoce, 20 minutes from Arona, and an hour by train from Milan. It's a great base for nearby villages and history, and many tours also leave from Milan. I made amazing memories with my mum. Italy is beautiful. Bellisimo. Ciao Francesca y Margarita.

The hospitality was the best part. Thanks for the lovely conversation at breakfast, and for making such a nice place. After a long day on my motorbike, I got a warm welcome and something to eat and drink, even though dinner isn't usually offered. The rooms are spacious and look out over the courtyard and horses. I'd love to come back :)

The location is a little unusual, out in a big wooded area, but the signs helped us find it. The rooms are converted haylofts above the horse stables and made very nice apartments to stay in. The owner served us dinner and breakfast at a very reasonable price, and let us walk around and see her horse business before we left.

The apartment was comfortable and well equipped, and made La Garzonera a great base for our Italy vacation. It’s near a horse stable, but there were no smells. Surrounded by woods, it felt like a good escape from city life. Francesca was a super host and made sure we enjoyed our visit. We also did the survival class with Marco, which the whole family loved. He’s the best, and I’d recommend it for kids, teenagers, and adults. You can also ride the wonderful horses raised on the farm. The lakes are a short drive away.