Varese sits in a green amphitheater of hills between Milan and the Swiss border, close enough to seven lakes that locals call the province the "Garden of Lombardy." It grew rich in the Liberty (Italian Art Nouveau) era, when Milanese industrialists built flamboyant villas here, and that legacy still shows in its palm-lined gardens, grand hotels, and the great house museums that ring the town. It is a place most foreign visitors skip, which is exactly why it rewards a relaxed week.
The draws here are gentle and outdoorsy: the UNESCO-listed Sacro Monte with its cobbled pilgrim path and fourteen chapels, the wooded trails of Campo dei Fiori regional park, and a flat cycling ring around Lake Varese. Add cliffside monasteries on Lake Maggiore, iconic Como and Bellagio within an easy train ride, and Milan barely an hour away, and one comfortable base covers a lot of ground. The food is classic Lombard comfort: risotto, polenta, lake fish, and cured meats, washed down with wines from the Angera hills and nearby Piedmont.
Getting around is easiest by a mix of Trenord regional trains (Varese has two stations, FS and Nord) and the odd short drive; a car helps for the hills and vineyards but is not essential. Expect warm, sometimes humid August days around 27-31C with the chance of a punchy afternoon thunderstorm over the mountains, so pack light layers, sun protection, and a compact rain shell along with real walking shoes. Mid-August is Italian holiday season, so lake towns and Como are busy while Varese itself stays calm; note that a handful of city restaurants close for summer ferie, so it pays to check ahead.
Elegant, leafy, and refreshingly uncrowded, Varese is the ideal slow-travel base for the western Italian lakes. You get a walkable historic center with excellent gelato and pasticcerie, a mountain (Campo dei Fiori) and a sacred hill (Sacro Monte) rising right behind town, and fast rail links to Milan, Como, Lake Maggiore, and Lugano. Base yourself here for a week and you can hike in the morning, swim or cruise in the afternoon, and still be at a good trattoria by eight.
Where to Stay
Stay in or near the historic center (Centro Storico) around Piazza Monte Grappa and Corso Matteotti for walkable dining, gelato, and the Giardini Estensi, plus a short bus or taxi to both train stations. For a quieter, view-heavy stay, the hillside toward Sacro Monte and Colle Campigli trades walkability for calm and panoramas. Families and longer-stay travelers may prefer an apartment or agriturismo on the town's green edges near Villa Toeplitz or the lake.
Hotel Bologna
midrange GoogleA friendly, well-run hotel a short walk from Piazza Monte Grappa with one of the best traditional restaurants in the center downstairs. Reliable comfort at a fair price makes it a strong central base for a week.
Hotel City Varese
midrange GoogleA practical, modern three-star close to Varese FS station and the center, handy for the many day trips by train. Clean rooms and easy parking suit travelers who will be out exploring most days.
Hotel Ungheria Varese
budget GoogleA simple, good-value central option near the pedestrian streets, ideal for keeping lodging costs down so you can spend on food and lake boats. Basic but well located.
Villa or apartment rental near Villa Toeplitz
family friendly GoogleRenting an apartment or small villa on Varese's green western edge gives families space, a kitchen, and easy access to parks and the lake cycle path. Good for longer, slower stays.
Palace Grand Hotel Varese
luxury GoogleThe town's landmark splurge: a hilltop Liberty-era palace on Colle Campigli with sweeping views, grand public rooms, and a pool set in parkland. Worth it if you want one memorable, iconic stay.
This week gives you the best of quiet Lombardy: pilgrim paths and mountain trails above Varese, cliffside monasteries and castles on Lake Maggiore, iconic Como and Bellagio by boat, and just enough Milan for art and pasta-making. It's a relaxed, food-and-nature-forward trip built around one comfortable base, without the crowds that swallow the big-name towns. Come hungry, pack good shoes and a light rain shell, and let the lakes set the pace.