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ut of all the Italian lakes, and there are probably many more than you realise (seven, in fact), Lake Maggiore has to be the most majestic. Take a short 15

kilometre drive north of Milan and you reach its shores. It boasts an

array of scenery – the plains of Emilia Romana, the pretty-as-a-picture setting

of Lake Como and the hills of Lombardy. The second largest of Italy’s lakes, it stretches

north to Ticino in Switzerland, where its surrounding hills turn into soaring mountains, and this is here where the enchanting town of Ascona lies.

It’s a unique place – technically just in Switzerland, but with an intrinsic Italian flair. Winding cobbled streets boast expensive boutiques, tiny art galleries and delicatessens selling local polenta, pasta and fungi. But it’s the views here that are most jaw-dropping. Perched on a bay, Ascona looks directly out over Lake Maggiore with its snow-capped mountains beyond. Factor in the temperate climate and it’s no wonder that travellers have been flocking here for more than a century. Its serene views and peaceful way of life have long attracted painters, writers and poets, and in the early 20th century a colony of intellectuals and bon vivants, including dancer Isadora Duncan, painter Paul Klee and writer James Joyce, ended up forming a notorious naturalist commune. Now defunct, the Monte Verita, on the hills above the town, still stands and visitors can visit the gardens, restaurant and museum (www.monteverita.org).

On the waterfront and past the town’s main piazza, where the famous annual Jazz Ascona festival takes

Forget San Moritz and Portofino; the little known resort of Ascona on the shores

of Lake Maggiore is vying to become Europe’s most glamorous destination.

ANGELINA VILLA-CLARKE checks into the Hotel Eden Roc to practice

the art of dolce far niente

LaDolceVita

place (this year on 21 June – 1 July, www.jazzascona.ch), the town’s gem, the Hotel Eden Roc, is found.

The huge rambling five star hotel was originally built in 1971 but has since expanded to incorporate two neighbouring hotels and a recently built 2,000m2 spa. With its truly divine location on the shores of Lake Maggiore, it boasts one of the most dazzling settings for any hotel. Most of the 95 rooms and suites have stunning views of the lake or mountains and a balcony or terrace to soak up the sun that lasts most of the year.

While outside is serene, inside is a different matter. The hotel’s overall design was conceived by Swiss interior designer Carlo Rampazzi, known for his clashing, ‘anything goes’ ethos. Step into the lobby and you are immediately greeted with his signature style. Vibrant tangerine orange walls and velvet chaise-longues are mixed with elegant antique chandeliers; the ceiling has a faded fresco above; and there are classic, gleaming marble floors underfoot.

Rampazzi’s aim was to surprise guests and to give the unexpected, and he has certainly succeeded.

Turn into the left wing of the hotel and Rampazzi has gone to town with his flamboyant approach – walls have tromp l’oeil effects,

Venetian console tables have been given odd, non-matching legs (one in glass, the other in metal) and chairs have vases sprouting out of them. Lime green, violet and turquoise make up the colour palette. Carpets have swirling patterns, walls have stage curtains painted onto the material… it’s equally weird and wonderful. The rooms and suites are spacious and well thought-out: walk-in wardrobes, marble bathrooms and wrap-around terraces give a luxurious apartment feel, while Rampazzi’s vibrant and slightly crazy touches (mismatched furniture, quirky lamps and in-your-face colours) add a distinct cheeriness to it all.

Ascona is a unique place – technically just in Switzerland but

with an intrinsic Italian flair

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In the right wing of the hotel, rooms are slightly more pared-back but that’s not to say boring. There are 16 new Marina rooms here, which have a youthful, retro 1950s maritime design, plus the new funky Marina restaurant. It’s the ultimate place to practice the art of dolce far niente. Literally translated as the sweetness of doing nothing, it’s a true Italian philosophy of life and here it can be played out to perfection – people-watching under the sun umbrellas, savouring an Aperol Spritz aperitif at the bar or tucking into a simple, but mouthwatering, plate of penne, buffalo mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and basil.

The Marina restaurant is the most casual of the dining options at Eden Roc, although it still manages to boast 14 GauntMillau points due to its seasonal, fresh and inspired dishes. While you can sit inside in the all-white dining room under an oversized white Murano glass chandelier, the action really takes place outside. Modern wicker tables and chairs, with jaunty striped cushions, look out over the harbour onto the lake. In fact, it’s the only hotel in Switzerland to have its own yacht harbor, and with the affiliated watersports school, guests have the chance to try their hand at sailing, waterskiing or wakeboarding.

There are four restaurants in the hotel in total, all

offering sublime dining. The most stunning is La Brezza. The chef Rolf Krapf may not have got a Michelin star yet (although it has the equivalent of 16 GaultMillau points) but he will soon. In any case, it doesn’t matter. The food is just as good as any Michelin starred meal you’ve ever tasted, if not better. Attention to detail is second to none – hand-made breads, saliva-inducing amuse-bouche, violet and rose jellies, to accompany the extensive cheese selection, and the sweetest tea pouring ceremony to be found this side of Japan, all added up for a grand, ‘remember forever’ experience.

After indulging so much, it would be rude not to take advantage of the spa. Ticino is known for its wild flowers and it is these that Rampazzi has used for inspiration. Each of the seven treatment rooms is themed according to local

floral varieties and it makes for a lovely oasis. Treatments are offered from Sensai, Clarins and Dermalogica, and there’s a huge range to choose from. There’s also a substantial nod towards Eastern treatments, with the Abhyanga Ayurveda massage being a stand-out. The spa also has two indoor and outdoor pools, a hydropool, sauna, steam bath, samarium and Finnish sauna.

While it’s tempting to be cocooned at the hotel (the level of service is second-to-none), it’s worth exploring the local area. A must is a trip to the Sunday

market in Cannobio, Italy, the first town across the border and just a short ferry ride away or via the speed-boat which can be arranged from the hotel. With its many stalls spreading out along the lake-front, this is the best place to buy local delicacies – Parma ham, salami, fresh pasta and cheese. Wander along and you can enjoy tasting sensations at each stall.

En route, you’ll pass Isola Bella and Isola Madre, twin islands in the centre of Lake Maggiore, and they are worth a stop-off. Isola Bella is known for its ornate baroque palazzo, built for the Borromeo family in the 17th century. Surrounding it are beautiful, scented formal gardens where you can meander among the statues, tinkling fountains and fragrant lemon trees. Isola Madre has a more exotic feel with its carob and cypress trees and even a colony of parrots (www.borromeoturismo.it).

Not far away is the larger town of Locarno, known for its huge and dramatic piazza. It’s the location for the international film festival which takes place each year (www.pardolive.ch) and which started in 1946. Thousands flock to the piazza for open-air screenings of films by up-and-coming directors and the event is famous for having discovered new talent over the years.

If all that sounds a bit much, simply stretch your legs a few paces along the waterfront to the main piazza and you’ll come across the new Albergo-Caffé Carcani (www.carcani.ch). Like Hotel Eden Roc, this is owned by the Tschuggen Hotel Group, and it is a three-star, buzzy little hideout. While the hotel can’t compete with its older and finer sister in the luxury stakes, it does feature the same eclectic design by Rampazzi and is worth a trip to its adjoining cool and brand new Caffé Carcani, set to be next summer’s buzziest hub in Ascona. Serving coffee and dolci during the day and aperitifs and assaggi in the evening, it will be sure to attract the town’s glitterati, no doubt well schooled in dolce far niente. In fact, it’s the perfect place to practice another Italian philosophy – la bella figura. Peculiarly Italian, it means the art of making a good impression, of looking good, and there’s no better place to do that than here.

Hotel Eden Roc, via Albarelle 17, Ascona, SwitzerlandDoubles on a B&B basis at Hotel Eden Roc are available from CHF190 (£127) per person per night, based on two adults sharing and including service, taxes and VATTo book call +41 91 785 71 71 or visit www.edenroc.ch EasyJet flies to Milan Malpensa from Edinburgh, London Gatwick and London Luton; www.easyJet.com

For more information on the area, please visit www.ascona.ch and www.ticino.ch

Eden Roc is the ultimate place to practice the art of dolce far niente, the sweetness of doing nothing