THE ITINERARY IS ACCESSIBLE FOR TOURISTS WITH SPECIFIC NEEDS (Project "FOR ALL Tourism for All All Tourists")
Minimum duration: 1 day
Difficulty of the route: low
Length of the route in km: 7 km
LOCATION DESCRIPTION
Baveno, overlooking the Borromean Islands, lies on the Piedmontese shores of Lake Maggiore and is a municipality rich in history, traditions and culture. From the pleasant lakeside promenade you can enjoy an enchanting view of the Borromean Gulf as far as the inlet of Laveno, the Lombard shore of Lake Maggiore. The Borromean Islands can be reached quickly by boat. From the lakeside promenade, you can go inland to admire the park of Villa Fedora or walk through the town streets to the heart of Baveno, the Church Square. Here, Romanesque architecture can be experienced in the splendid monumental complex of the Church of Saints Gervaso and Protaso. In the same square you can visit the Granum museum, a multimedia and multisensory information space dedicated to the Pink Granite and its historical and economic importance for the Baveno area.
As you drive along the coast road from Baveno to the small village of Feriolo on the Borromean Gulf, you notice the bright colours of the houses lined up along the shore, with the picturesque little boats moored on the lake. Feriolo's lakeside promenade is perhaps one of the most characteristic on Lake Maggiore: beaches, rustic houses and small balconies characterise its appearance, offering a particularly evocative setting in the evening, when the lake waters reflect the light from the many street lamps that line it.
INFORMATION
PARKING:
The Municipality of Baveno allows vehicles displaying the European Disabled Person's Identification Card to park in any parking space free of charge.
MUNICIPAL POLICE:
E-mail : polizialocale@comune.baveno.vb.it - Tel. +39 0323 923755
TOURIST OFFICE:
Piazza della Chiesa 8 - Tel. +39 0323 924632 - Whatsapp: +39 345 7936361
Email info@bavenoturismo.it Site www.bavenoturismo.it
ACCESSIBLE MUNICIPAL TOILETS
On the ground floor, with external access, of the Tourist Information Office - Piazza della Chiesa 8.
WHAT TO SEE
The historic centre of Baveno can be reached on foot along a path that starts at the lakeside promenade; you can leave your car in the car park at the landing stage. The approximately 3.15 km long route has gradients of up to 20% and mixed paving. Via Zanone is paved with asphalt, while Via Domo is paved with stone and porphyry cubes as far as Largo Locatelli. This route has no flat sections. In Largo Locatelli there is a parking area with spaces reserved for people with disabilities. From here the Church Square can be accessed via an uphill section of road (with a gradient of 8%) in porphyry cubes at the beginning of the ramp and then continued with paving in regular shaped stone slabs and cobblestones with concavity towards the top and such remains for the entire area of the Church Square. Arriving in the church square, you can admire the portico of the Via Crucis on the left side, the Baptistery and the Church of San Gervaso and Protaso on the front. Access with a fixed ramp takes place laterally for the Church of San Gervaso, while for the Baptistery it is possible through the positioning of a removable ramp, which is placed if necessary by asking the tourist information office. On the right-hand side of the square there is a more recent building: a multi-purpose structure housing the tourist information office, the municipal library and the Granum marble museum, a multimedia and multi-sensory information point dedicated to the Pink Granite and its historical and economic importance for the Baveno area. The multi-storey building is accessible via a freight elevator. At the end of the walk through the old town centre, we return to the lake where it is possible to walk along the lakeside promenade, which is fully accessible, with no particular differences in level and with smooth paving. From the landing stage it is possible to take the boat to visit the Borromean Islands, and there is a footpath to get to the stage.
Continuing along the Sempione road in the direction of Gravellona Toce, just after the bridge over the Selva stream, in the centre of Baveno, it is possible to visit Villa Fedora. This lush English-style public park is located in an area bordering Lake Maggiore. It has several internal routes leading to the lakeside promenade and the beach. To access the green area, you can park your car in the public car park in Via Edelweiss and cross Strada Nazionale del Sempione. There are no reserved parking spaces, but those available are free of charge by displaying the European Disabled Person's Identification Card on the car. The route is barrier-free, the paving of the paths has been repaired and access is possible throughout the park. At the end of the route, on reaching the lakeside promenade, there is a communal toilet which is accessible to all, as well as a bar/kiosk with an outdoor terrace where you can enjoy the view of the lake in the shade of the marquee equipped with mobile seats with armrests. It should be noted, however, that unfortunately there is sand/gravel in this section, which creates friction and difficulty with manual wheelchairs. Finally, it is possible to directly access, via a platform, a small public beach. If you want to opt for an equipped beach, this is reachable from the car park in Via Piave, 66 or via the barrier-free path from the Villa Fedora park.
If you take the car and drive along the coast road, you arrive in the small hamlet of Feriolo, which is 5 km from the centre of Baveno. Feriolo's lakeside promenade is perhaps one of the most characteristic on Lake Maggiore. Cars can be left in the car parks adjacent to the beach and along Repubblica dell'Ossola, A. Cardini, G. Mazzini and G. Verdi streets. Access from the car parks to the lakeside promenade is via ramps. The lakeside promenade is approximately 24 m from the Via Repubblica car park. Access is facilitated by a 9.50 m long ramp with an 11% gradient. The lakeside promenade has regular paving with stone slabs and runs along the shore for 250 m. and is 2.30 m wide, with a short section with a variable gradient of <8 %. Along the way, there are rest areas with steps leading down to the beach. There are numerous fixed bench seats with backrests.
Among the many beach accesses, we would like to highlight two:
- Access to the beach from the car park on Via Repubblica dell'Ossola. From the car park there is a first asphalt ramp with an 11% gradient to reach the promenade, then a second ramp down to the beach, made of asphalt with a 16% gradient and a final 8 cm step.
- Access to the beach from the car park on Via Verdi. From the promenade there are three sections of ramp: the first section is 27 m long with a slope of 8%, the second is 6 m long and has a 7% slope with regular porphyry cube paving, the third section is 60 cm long and is made of asphalt with a 24% slope.
The beach has fine sand and the water height near the shore is only a few centimetres, so it is not really recommended for swimming. There are also portions of beach with grass.
OVERALL ACCESSIBILITY DESCRIPTION:
The entire route is accessible for people with reduced mobility. For people who use a manual wheelchair, the presence of an accompanying person is recommended as in some sections (old town centre, Villa Fedora and Feriolo) there are gradients of more than 8%.
Path maker: Fabrizio Marta - Rotex
Author of texts: Fabrizio Marta - Rotex
