NO. 211

Luino: (ca. 15.000 inhabitants) is of Roman origin (Luvinum) and was first offically mentioned as Luvino in 1169. By virtue of its unique location at the connecting points of the 5 valleys, Val Dumentina, Valcuvia, Val Marchirolo, Val Veddasca and Val Travaglia, Luino has always been of particular importance throughout the centuries. Luino, which is probably the most significant town on the Eastern side of Lake Maggiore, offers a wide spectrum of attractions, including numerous shops, restaurants, cafés, bars, the sports centre with 4 tennis courts, indoor swimming pool (25m x 12m), the sailing and surfing school and the yachting marina. The wonderful lake-side promenade with its huge Plane trees, and the old harbour, which dates back to the era of Napoleon, are special highlights. A romantic stroll through the narrow streets of the historic town-centre, with its Renaissance and Baroque buildings, the courtyards and leafy passageways and the numerous small and interesting shops, transport the visitor back to days of old in Lombardy. In 1541, Emperor Karl V bestowed on Luino the right to hold a market and even today, many people come here regularly to the Wednesday Market, to enjoy the colourful and vibrant atmosphere. Luino, due to its changeful history, is rich in culture and has a particular affinity to the literary world. The poet Vittorio Sereni and the author Piero Chiara, who were both born here, are among the most important European writers of the 20th century, and the contemporary Literature Nobel-Prize winner, Dario Fo, spent part of his life in Luino. Even Ernest Hemmingway mentions Luino in his famous novel, „In Another Country“, with the words: „And I saw on the opposite side of the lake a wedgeshaped inlet between the mountains and thought: that must be Luino“.