Our daughter Crystal and her fiancé Chris live in Arona which sits on the southern end of Lago Maggiore. Like Stresa, the lake and mountain views are pretty spectacular. Unlike Stresa, this town has a younger vibe and seems to have a lot more action.
Arona was developed by the Romans but like Stresa the Borromeo family took possession of it in 1439 who built a protective wall around the city which also had several small towers. In the 1800s the wall and towers were destroyed by Napoleon so he could use the material to build Via Sempione. The Canziana Tower was one of the small external towers and during some archeological studies it was found that part of it still remained under the road. Therefore in 2017 when the city wanted to widen the promenade and lakeside they found remnants of the tower and in 2019 a glass wall and flowers, as well as signage was placed where the tower stood. Here are some photos:
Being that it is on the Lago, there is a beautiful promenade with unbelievable views. Here are some pictures of the walks have taken.
The Tredicino Luna Park is in town from May 13 to June 2nd so we popped by to see what the amusement park brought to the town. Even though it was small compared to our PNE (Pacific National Park) in Vancouver, it was pretty spectacular with all its lights and music. Here is a video and some photos of the Luna Park in Arona 2022.
Video of Luna Park
Photo's of Luna Park
Eating in Arona is plentiful
We had drinks one day at Speakeasy Liquid Bar, which has a cocktail menu that I've never seen before. It is a book with 96 pages of wonderfully crafted cocktails. We had clubhouse sandwiches late one evening and it hit the spot. Another day we had aperitive which consisted of taco's totally different then what I've ever had. Being next to the water the vibe is perfect and on Friday nights they have Jazz bands playing. Great place to try out if in Arona!
However a place we absolutely love is Zero Quaranta Nove or Cocktail Bar 049. Why 049? Well in 2011 when the liquor limit for driving changed to .050 this bar opened and in honor of drinking responsibly the name 049 is to remind everyone to stay under the limit if you are driving.
The food is delicious and they have an amazing aperitivo, and no not the drink you have before dinner, but the food that goes with the drink you buy before dinner. In Italy, they tend to eat later in the evening, therefore to take the edge off your hunger, restaurants serve some kind of aperitivi. 049 serves a blend of pizza and cold cuts which goes great with our spritzers. We've had these a few times now and it is delicious every time.
On this day, I opted to order a few things off the menu to see if all their food is as good as the aperitivo. And boy did we enjoy the drinks and meal. If you are ever in Arona, I recommend you make 049 your number one eating stop.
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