What to see and what to do in Meina
Meina is a town located on the Piedmontese shore of Lake Maggiore, at the mouth of the Tiasca torrent. It is a gracious tourist and holiday resort known for its splendid nineteenth-century villas and its characteristic village.
What should be seen and visited in Meina
Church of Santa Margherita
The Church of Santa Margherita was built on a pre-existing Romanesque style structure dating back to 1100-1200, partially visible until today in the churchyard area. The current building is from the Baroque period, characterized by a high facade and flanked by the bell tower, which also houses a 17th-century ossuary.
The interior of the church is full of elaborate stucco decorations and colored with very light colors; in the chapels it is possible to admire some representations of San Carlo and Santa Margherita, three frescoes representing Sant'Ambrogio against the pagans, painted by Peracino dating back to 1817, the glory of Santa Margherita and San Carlo and the plague victims, also dating back to 1817 by the local artist Peretti.
The Pier
The pier is located near the lake and is part of the tour circuit that includes the gardens of Piazza Marconi in pure twentieth-century style in the place where the ancient dock of the town of Meina once stood. The place is impressive, especially in the evening and at night, given the splendid panorama on the shores of Lake Maggiore, and the presence of numerous pine trees that frame the landscape.
It is a dock for the boats of the Navigazione del Lago Maggiore, allowing tourists to visit it even on the water.
Meina Museum
The Meina Museum is housed in the splendid Chalet of Villa Faraggiana, a structure dating back to the nineteenth century, overlooking Lake Maggiore, born as the holiday home of the senator of the Kingdom of Italy Raffaello Faraggiana. The building housed the zoological and ethnographic museum developed by the senator himself thanks to continuous business trips, exhibiting live and stuffed animals from areas around the world. Today it hosts a multimedia itinerary entitled "Vox Horti": accompanied by a virtual girl among enigmas, holograms, funny characters, tests to overcome, projections, labyrinths, artistic (from Arcimboldo to Monet) and literary (from Shakespeare to Cervantes) quotations you discover nature in a true 4D experience.
Inside it is possible to contemplate the fascinating Gallery of Seasons, characterized by cycles of frescoes based on the life of the goddess Diana, and a private chapel with a magnificent 18th century painting depicting the Apparition of the Madonna.
Municipal building
Meina is also famous for its historic buildings and among these we obviously point out the characteristic Town Hall, built in the late nineteenth century. Inside, in the council chamber, it is possible to visit a magnificent fresco on the ceiling with an Allegory of the family, a work created by the Risorgimento painter Eleuterio Pagliano.
Church of the Annunciation
The Church of the Annunciation, otherwise known as the Madonnina by the locals, is a seventeenth-century building with a baroque stone portal, built thanks to donations from the citizens of Meina. Inside you can see a series of frescoes dating back to the end of the 15th century depicting the Madonna enthroned between San Rocco and San Sebastiano, attributed to artists belonging to the 15th century Novarese school.
What to do in and around Meina
- take the boat to visit the Borromean Islands: a boat trip is certainly the best way to transform your trip on Lake Maggiore into a unique and unforgettable experience. The major attraction of the gulf, however, is constituted by the famous Borromean islands: Isola Bella, with the noble Palazzo Borromeo and the Italian gardens, created with exuberant Baroque imagination; Isola Madre, loved for its lush vegetation, rare plants, exotic flowers, peacocks, and parrots in the wild; Isola dei Pescatori, which houses a picturesque village; finally, the islet of San Giovanni, the only one that cannot be visited
- visit the Parco dei Lagoni of Mercurago: established in 1980, this park includes a peat bog area, some pastures dedicated to the breeding of thoroughbred horses and a strip of wood. It can be reached starting from Mercurago, at the headquarters and visitor center, and is equipped with a dense network of paths, from which to admire an interesting series of ecosystems: the forest, the moor, the pond, the marsh and the pasture
- visit the Sacro Monte of San Carlo: San Carlo, imposing and majestic, seems to welcome people with a benevolent and at the same time severe air; with his head slightly bowed, the Saint blesses his hometown by raising his right hand, while his left hand holds the large code of acts of the Milanese church. Commonly identified by citizens as the San Carlone, it is the symbol of the city of Arona. Built from 1614 to 1697 on a project by Giovanni Battista Crespi, it consists of a masonry core and iron and wooden lattices, covered with copper plates, while the head and hands are in bronze. It is possible to access the interior via a staircase that leads up to the mighty head, an exceptional point of view from which you can enjoy an enchanting view
- visit the Umbrella and Parasol Museum in Gignese: moving a few kilometers, another very ancient village linked to another characteristic activity: that of the umbrella maker! The Umbrella and Parasol Museum in Gignese is entirely dedicated to this traditional craft (open every day, except Mondays, 10:00 - 12: 00/15: 00 - 18:00), which tells the story of an object that we all know, whose production is historically connected with this village on the slopes of Mottarone
- visit the Rocca of Angera: on the way back from the valleys to the lake, it is worth making a stop at the Rocca d'Angera, the Borromean fortress perched on a spur of rock overlooking the lake, which houses the extraordinary Museum of doll and toy, one of the most important exhibitions in Europe of toys of all types of materials and workmanship. Reaching Angera is very simple, the boats leave from Arona and Stresa
- visit Stresa: Stresa overlooks Lake Maggiore near the Gulf where you can see the scenic Borromean Islands (Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori) located in a very suggestive position. This peculiarity, combined with the mildness of the climate and the scenic and architectural beauties, attracts thousands of tourists every year and makes the town one of the most popular Italian tourist destinations since the second half of the nineteenth century. Its lakefront is ideal for relaxing walks and for admiring historic houses and luxurious Art Nouveau hotels surrounded by greenery
- visit the Villa Pallavicino Park: the Villa Pallavicino Zoo Park has an area of about 20 hectares and is populated by over 40 species of animals including mammals and tropical birds: fallow deer, llamas, Tibetan goats, hares and macaques live in freedom in a area called Lombardina. The Antica Cascina hosts zebras, kangaroos and ferrets. Not far from the bar there is a pond with turtles and beavers. The park's centuries-old trees are famous (we remember the imposing Liriodendron, and the ancient Ginkgo biloba) and the botanical garden, visited every year by thousands of people
- spend a day at the Aquadventure Park: water games, slides and swimming pools for adults and children strictly indoor also at the Aquadventure Park in Baveno, whose water area remains sheltered even in bad weather, thanks to the lockable roof!
Tips about where to sleep in Meina
These are just some of the accommodation facilities in Meina. You can find all the hotels, B & Bs and campsites where you can spend a stay or a holiday in Meina on Lake Maggiore here:
How to get to Meina
It is possible to reach Meina:
- from Milan / Malpensa Airport:
- by car: from the A26 motorway, the Meina exit. Malpensa Airport is 23 km from Arona
- by train: Meina railway station is on the line that connects Domodossola to Milan
- from Domodossola (Sempione):
- take the state road E62 / SS33 towards Milan, continue on the A26 / E62 motorway towards Milan, exit at Meina