The Place
Three decades ago this was just a pensione with a single shared bathroom. Now, thanks to the hands-on commitment of two generations of the Krähenmann family it’s a wonderfully relaxing 19-bedroom lakeside retreat. The biggest asset is surely its view across Lake Maggiore, especially from the terrace where you can lunch or dine in good weather. The only other houses in sight are tiny dots on the far shore. The private jetty, for refreshing dips in the lake, is a bonus too, as is the traditional food, now much more sophisticated than at our last edition, with a mix of local, traditional and Mediterranean dishes.
The bedrooms, all different, and all with the lake view, are thoroughly comfortable, with impressive attention to detail. Service is personal and friendly – the Krähenmanns’ aim is to soothe away stress. It would be a shame to just use this place as a stopover: much more worthy of a week’s stay, or at least a long weekend.