VARESE

From the 18th century Palazzo Estense to the breathtaking panoramas of the Sacro Monte. To the silent ripples in the lake to the slopes of Campo dei Fiori. A garden city to be explored

POPULATION
80,694
DENSITY
1,471 inhabitants/sq. km
AREA
54.84 sq. km
ELEVATION
382 m a.s.l.

The parks surrounding the villas of Varese are the perfect welcome to what is commonly referred to as the garden city. Fresh blossoms create the green carpet leading to Palazzo Estense. 

Tourism Varese. Giacomo Leopardi endearingly referred to it as the “Little Versailles” of Italy. A voyage through the splendor of the 1700’s, from the hill of Belvedere to the Italian gardens and their linear hedges. Villa Menafoglio Litta, managed by FAI, 'dimora di delizia' to the Marquis Menafoglio, tells about the passion for contemporary art of Count Giuseppe Panza di Biumo. Another artistic hub to be uncovered includes the Museum within the Masnago Castle, decorated with frescoes of scenes from the court.

Outside the city, there are plenty of opportunities to climb the surrounding steep slopes by bicycle. Start slow in Schiranna, and, in a more slow way, from the circumnavigation of Lake Varese. Here were found palafitte of primitive men, with the first remains found as far back as 1863. Some are in the museum of the Virginia Beetle, others are kept in the Civic Museum of the City of Varese, in Villa Mirabello.

By foot, just two kilometres from the Via Sacra, is the Sanctuary of the Sacro Monte, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that connects 14 chapels winding into the sky. Under the mountain, in Sant’Ambrogio, check out the magnificent Villa Toeplitz, a testament park-gardens of Varese
 

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Experiences

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10 Good reasons to visit Varese

Varese Palazzo Estense
  • Lifestyle

6 Discovering Lombardy - virtual tour

Museums and castles to visit from your home
Palazzo Te (Mantova)
  • Art & Culture

Monumental trees in Lombardy

The art of knowing trees in Lombardy
Alberi monumentali in Lombardia
  • Active & Green

Boroughs Varese

Take time for a slow visit among the historic villages of Varese through alleys, painted facades, festivals: it will not be wasted!
Boroughs Varese, hints for visiting
  • Villages

Cerro di Laveno Santa Caterina Arolo

Uno dei luoghi di fede più suggestivi della Lombardia, a raggiungere pedalando fra antichi borghi e splendide vedute della sponda occidentale del Lago Maggiore.
Cerro di Laveno Santa Caterina Arolo
  • Cicloturismo

Da Laveno a Luino

Un facile itinerario che dal lago ritorna al lago percorrendo le prealpine Valcuvia e Valtravaglia.
Da Laveno a Luino
  • Cicloturismo

The Cloister of Voltorre

The monastic art of the Cloister of Voltorre
The monastic art of The Cloister of Voltorre
  • Art & Culture

The Ghost of Manigunda

In Varese the legend of the ghost of Manigunda to the monastery
Legends of Varese: the Ghost of Manigunda at the Cairate Monastery
  • Art & Culture

Holy honey

A centuries-old tradition still alive in the abbeys
Where to buy honey made by monks in Lombardy
  • Religious Tourism

Varese itinerary

Take a walk in the "Garden City" and climb slowly up to the sacred mountain that is Unesco heritage
Varese and Sacro Monte day trip
  • Lifestyle

The monk’s pantry: where to indulge your tastebuds

Guide for gourmands in the monasteries of Lombardy
A gluttonous guide to the monasteries of Lombardy
  • Religious Tourism

Monument Varese

Stately homes, religious buildings, fortifications and UNESCO treasures among the beauties of Varese and its surroundings
Monument Varese, what to see
  • Art & Culture

Places

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Palazzo Estense

@inlombardia - Palazzo Estense di Varese
  • Art & Culture

The hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso

@inlombardia - Eremo di Santa Caterina del Sasso
  • Religious Tourism

Visconteo Castle

In Fagnano Olona a particular medieval castle
  • Art & Culture

Church of Santa Maria foris portas

  • Unesco Sites

Casa Museo Lodovico Pogliaghi | Varese Convention & Visitors Bureau

Casa museo Pogliaghi
  • Art & Culture

Masnago Castle and Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art | Varese Convention & Visitors Bureau

Masnago Castle and Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art | Varese Convention & Visitors Bureau
  • Art & Culture

Basilica di San Vittore

Entering the historical core, walking through the streets of the center you'll be enchanted by the vision of the Basilica
Basilica di San Vittore, Churches of Varese
  • Religious Tourism

The Abbey of San Donato

In Sesto Calende the beautiful and ancient Romanesque church is worth a visit
Visit the Abbey of San Donato in Sesto Calende
  • Religious Tourism

Badia di Ganna

  • Religious Tourism

Info

Go to the general info

How to arrive

BY PLANE
Milano Malpensa 35 km, Linate 70 km, Orio al Serio 110 km

BY TRAIN
trenord.it
tilo.ch

BY CAR
Autostrada A8

How to move

BY BUS
ctpi.it

BIKE SHARING
bicincitta.tobike.it

Information

INFOPOINT VARESE
Piazza Monte Grappa, 5
T. +39 0332 281913

WIFI
Varese Wifi

FIND OUT MORE
comune.varese.it

Useful numbers

EMERGENCY
112

HOSPITALS
Ospedale Filippo del Ponte 
Via Filippo Del Ponte, 19
T. +39 0332 299111

Ospedale Macchi–Va
Viale Luigi Borri, 57
T. +39 0332 278111

POLICE
Comando Provinciale Carabinieri Varese
Via Aurelio Saffi, 55
T. +39 0332 4501