A road trip through northern Italy with luxury hotels & (Michelin) fine-dining restaurants plus a side trip to the Swiss Alps:

One of this year’s trips brought my husband and me again to northern Italy, a regular spot for us lately. We revisited the Piedmont plus explored the nearby Veneto. This region – the focus of our journey – was new to us. You certainly know its flagship destination here, Venice. But you probably are not that familiar with the rest of this area, which is not heavily touristed. Maybe Verona’s famous Arena rings a bell. In my case, I had heard about the Euganean Hills, a natural park here. This is a delightful group of verdant hills that stand out in an otherwise flat area. And I liked the idea of traveling an undertouristed Italian area for a change. Thus, I started looking for a fine luxury hotel and Michelin fine-dining restaurants nearby. And I successfully did that! Learn in the following about a Veneto (plus the Piedmont and the Swiss southeast) itinerary to stay and dine in style. Plus, find out about some things to do in this Italian region.

Before delving into this journey, here is some brief information about three more trips my husband and I did in northern Italy in the recent past.

Looking back at 3 earlier north Italy trips

1. Piedmont & western Switzerland

This trip, undertaken in August 2024, lead us in 11 days to the following places in the Piedmont. And the last stop was a layover in Switzerland on our way home:

• Caluso, north of Turin/Italy: upscale bed & breakfast accommodation & nearby Michelin restaurant
• Ceretto Langhe, south of Alba/Italy: luxury hotel with Michelin restaurant plus two more gourmet restaurants (one of them one-Michelin starred) in the area
• Stresa, Lake Maggiore/Italy: luxury hotel with high-end dining spot and two other (Michelin) venues in the vicinity
• Vallée de Joux, near Lake Geneva/Switzerland: upscale hotel with foodie eater

2. Northern Italy & western Switzerland

In September 2023, a 14-day journey brought my husband and me to the South Tyrol and Lombardy regions (both in Italy). And we had  a stopover in the west of my home country on our return trip:

• Tirolo above Merano, South Tyrol/Italy: high-end hotel with two-star Michelin restaurant
• Sarentino valley above Bolzano, South Tyrol/Italy: upscale lodging with two-star Michelin dining spot
• Gardone Riviera on Lake Garda, Lombardy/Italy: high-end accommodation with one-star Michelin restaurant plus three nearby (Michelin) gourmet places (one of them also one-Michelin starred)
• Glion above Montreux/Switzerland: comfortable lodging with upscale eatery plus a close one-star Michelin venue

3. Northern Italy & southern France

Yet in another voyage, done in October 2021, we traveled two neighbouring countries in 11 days. We started in northern Italy, followed by southern France:

• Lake Orta, Piedmont/Italy: luxury boutique hotel with three-star Michelin restaurant
• Santa Stefano Belbo, Piedmont/Italy: high-end hotel with one-star Michelin eatery
• Alassio, Liguria/Italy: upscale accommodation with one-star Michelin dining spot
• Vence, Côte d’Azur/France: high-end hotel with one-star Michelin venue
• Paradou near Les-Baux-de-Provence, Provence/France: upscale hotel with Michelin restaurant
• Vienne, south of Lyon/France: comfortable lodging with two-star Michelin establishment

After this look at the past, now to our latest journey to northern Italy, precisely a Veneto itinerary to stay and dine in style.

North Italy trip 2025: 10-day road trip Piedmont, Veneto & Swiss southeast itinerary

This time, we had two focal points in mind. First, we wanted to revisit Stresa (Lake Maggiore/Piedmont). We had fallen in love with this place the year before and found it a good starting point for a voyage to a more distant north Italian area. As a matter of fact, we longed to travel a region here that is not so often traveled. And this is about the Veneto, and I do not mean Venice or Verona. Instead we were eager to get to know its lesser known parts. To avoid a lengthy drive on our way home, we made a short stop in Switzerland’s southeast en route.

Find here my Google Map of the journey (itinerary for Veneto plus Piedmont and Swiss southeast), complete with all the (luxury) hotels we stayed and the (Michelin) fine-dining restaurants we went:

Here are some short remarks to this itinerary (with a focus on the Veneto). Then I go into some more details to the individual places. As mentioned, we started in the Piedmont, in Stresa on Lake Maggiore (three days).

Next was our primary focus on this journey (five days), the Veneto region. Here we stayed near Lonigo, a small town half-an-hour-drive south of Vicenza. The latter is the fourth-largest town in the Veneto, after Verona, Venice and Padua. And the area is also known as. Venice’s hinterland.

On our return trip, we made a halt in the Engadine, a mountain valley in the Swiss southeastern Alps. Precisely, we headed to La Punt-Chamues-ch, a village a quarter-of-an-hour drive northeast of Saint Moritz.

In the following, I let you know about the major sights in each spot we went plus where we stayed and dined in style.

From place to place in this Veneto itinerary (plus Piedmont & Swiss southeast)

1. Stresa, Italian Lakes (Lake Maggiore/Piedmont), 1st stop Piedmont/Veneto itinerary

As this was a repeat stay, I do not offer much details to this destination. We stayed at the same hotel and had dinner at the same restaurants as last time. So, I do not want to go over this again (check out my posts from our last year’s voyage: overview, activities, hotel, restaurants). Instead I pick out some things that I find worth mentioning.

Activities around Stresa

We finally did a hike I mentioned in my post about some of the best things do around Stresa. It is about the Chestnut Trail between Stresa and Belgirate, a village south of the former town.

As there were no suitable boat connections, my husband and I went by bus to Belgirate. From here we walked in a bit more than three hours back to Stresa via the Chestnut Trail. When doing so, we opted for a more elevated path than the one I have linked above. But be prudent when opting for the latter because the risk of getting lost is higher. There is a tangle of paths up there in the hills of Belgirate. Yet it was a wonderful hike with lots of beautiful lake views.

As to town hopping from Stresa, my husband and I headed to the monastery of Santa Caterina del Sasso. We went by boat, which I strongly recommend. This because the buildings spectacularly cling to a steep rocky precipice. Viewing this from the water is half the experience.

Hotel in Stresa: Boutique Hotel Stresa with Restaurant LeBolle

There is news about the restaurant at our Stresa accommodation, Boutique Hotel Stresa (my review). Its Restaurant LeBolle has a new chef. Salvatore Totò Pacifico, a Michelin-star chef from Puglia, has been at the helm here since March 2025. And what a fantastic dinner we had at his new work place! The dining spot has been included in the Michelin guide. And I have little doubt that a Michelin star is only a matter of time!

As to the hotel, we had a great stay again, although we did not have the same fabulous room as last time. And this despite the fact we booked the same category, yet this time with two separated beds instead of a king bed. But unfortunately in this case, you often end up with a “children’s bedroom”, say a more basic one.

Restaurants around Stresa

Apart from the chef change at Restaurant LeBolle at Boutique Hotel Stresa (see above), there is some more news.

This concerns Restaurant Piccolo Lago in Verbania.

As I let you know in my last year’s post, the two-star Michelin chef was convicted for food poisoning. And apparently the appeal was not successful. Notwithstanding, he continued his restaurant business. Said that, he implemented a new concept. Instead of high-end fine dining, everything is more simple now. Think of significantly lowered prices, no selection of snacks and petit fours any more or helping yourself to more wine. Yet the quality of the food is the same as it was when he held two Michelin stars! And this is the main thing in my opinion. Plus, I find the court ruling somewhat unfair – but I am no lawyer. Be it as it may, go to Piccolo Lago in case you if you like exquisite Italian cuisine!

We also payed Restaurant Battipalo in Lesa a visit again. It was as good as it was on our previous dinner (my post). And we could have our meal on the lovely outdoor area by the lake, which was a plus!

2. Around Vicenza, Veneto, 2nd stop Piedmont/Veneto itinerary

Activities around Vicenza

My husband and I were lured to this area because of the Regional Park of the Euganean Hills. It is located in the province of Padua and is a paradise for outdoor lovers with its variety of walking trails. But there is more about it. You find here also lots of beautiful little villages. One of them is Arquà Petrarca,

which was able to retain its ancient charm. We visited Casa del Petrarca where Franceso Petrarca, a famous poet, spent his last years. In addition, we did a short walk in the hills around the village, the Pianoro del Mottolone.

And we paid the nearby historic garden of Villa Barbarigo a visit.

Apart from this natural park, there is large selection of other things to do. I have already drawn attention to an association of beautiful villages in Italy several times on my blog. It is called I Borghi più belli d’Italia and of course there is also a Veneto section. The before mentioned Arquà Petrarca is part of it. And we also went to Hamlet/Borghetto

and Montagnana.

Yet also Soave,

which is not on this list, is worthwhile visiting.

As to bigger towns, must-sees in the Veneto region are the following ones. There is on the one hand Vicenza,

a Palladian paradise (an architectural style inspired by Andrea Palladio, also refer to Villa Pisani below). My favourite in terms of cities was Padua,

a great place rich in cultural and historical gems. On the other hand, Verona must be a highlight too, apart from the Verona Arena Opera Festival. Yet we did not have to time to come here on our recent stay in the area. We will save it for later. And obviously there is Venice

– see my posts about it -, but this is a “different class”.

Hotel around Vicenza: La Barchessa di Villa Pisani with Restaurant Osteria del Guà

With Hotel La Barchessa di Villa Pisani we found our home away from home in the Veneto. I came across it when checking out the Michelin Key hotels here. In case you do not know about them, it is about a new rating system that identifies noteworthy lodgings, similar to the Michelin Stars. The above mentioned accommodation got one Key which translates into a “very special stay”.

La Barchessa di Villa Pisani consists of a museum and an actual lodging. The former is Villa Pisani,

designed by Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio for a patrician family of Venice in the 1540s. And it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As to the Barchessa (colonnade in English), it originally was a 19th-century agricultural building. In 2017, it opened its doors as hotel, after a long conservative restoration. Out of the 15 luxurious rooms we opted for a Junior Suite.

In a post to come I will go into how it is staying at La Barchessa di Villa Pisani. We also had dinner at this accommodation, at Osteria del Guà, which is Michelin listed and serves delicious Venetian cuisine.

Restaurants around Vicenza 

On our stay in the Vicenza countryside, we had not only dinner at the “hotel restaurant” but also explored the fine-dining scene outside our accommodation.

We chose three nearby eateries, all listed in the Michelin guide. And one of those even holds two Michelin stars. We got to know the whole range of high-end dining, from an upscale pizzeria

to a seafood place and a gastronomic temple.

Learn all about where to dine in style in this part of the Veneto close to Vicenza soon on my blog.

3. Engadine (near Saint Moritz), southeastern Swiss Alps, side trip to Piedmont/Veneto itinerary

The Engadine in the southeastern Swiss Alps was our choice for a stopover destination en route to our home. This high mountain valley

is like an old acquaintance to us (see my reporting on it). Thus, we found nothing really new to us. But we checked out a hotel with two fine restaurants where we had not been yet. It is about Hotel Krone Saeumerei am Inn

and its two eateries. One is a fine-dining-spot – Restaurant Chavellera – , the other a more casual one – Fö e Flamma dal Barun.

As to the hotel, it is boutique with 18 rooms only. Before James and Natacha Baron took it over in summer 2022, the original 16th-century Engadin farmhouse property had been renovated in several phases. And it presents itself now in a contemporary Alpine style. While I liked our room, a sizeable Junior Suite, I was less impressed by its view of the parking lot. An accommodation facing the Inn river would have been more favourable, yet there is the road behind it and another one that runs past the property. Plus, the breakfast where you help yourself from items all laid out on a large table, was a bit of a messy affair. Said that, courteous staff looked after us.

Dining at Hotel Krone Saeumerei am Inn however was a big deal, especially at their signature place, Restaurant Chavellera.

My husband and I enjoyed at this one-Michelin star spot one of the better meals we have had lately.

No wonder, James Baron used to be chef de cuisine at the two-star Michelin dining spot Amber in Hong Kong. Also their second restaurant – called Stueva at the time, now apparently replaced by Fö e Flamma dal Barun – delivered a convincing performance.

Two more Veneto posts

I mentioned it above, there is more to follow after this Veneto itinerary on my blog about our stay in the Vicenza countryside. To summarize, there will be two more posts about this area in northern Italy. After reporting about how it was staying at Hotel La Barchessa di Villa Pisani, I want to take a closer look at the Michelin fine-dining restaurants here. I start with the one at our lodging and continue with what the surroundings have to offer in this context.

Date of stay: July 2025

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