What to see on Lake Maggiore, itinerary including the main places of interest, including Stresa, Borromean Islands, Santa Caterina del Sasso and Trenino delle Centovalli.
Tourist information
Lake Maggiore or Verbano, which derives from the Latin Verbanus as the ancient Romans called it, is the second largest Italian lake after Lake Garda, is of glacial origin and is located in the Lombard Prealps.
The shores of the northern part of Lake Maggiore are in Swiss territory, while the western shore is in Piedmont and the eastern one in Lombardy.
The landscape surrounding the lake, thanks to a mild climate, is characterized by beautiful vegetation, with olive trees, lemons, orange trees, azaleas, camellias and many other plants that frame the picturesque villages and the many villas that overlook it.
On the western shore are the centers of Arona, Mèina, Lesa, Belgirate, Stresa, Baveno, Suna, Pallanza, Intra, Ghiffa, Oggebbio, Cànnero, Cannobio and, in Swiss territory, Brissago, Ascona, Locarno. On the eastern shore are Angera, Laveno, Luino, Maccagno and, Magadino in Switzerland.
From Lake Maggiore emerge the islands of Brissago, in the Swiss part, the Borromean islands, in the Gulf of Pallanza, the island of Partegora, in the Lombard part between Angera and Arona, and two islets where the castles of Cànnero are located.
Stresa is a picturesque town located at the foot of the Mottarone mountain, in an enchanting position.
Its elegant lakefront offers suggestive views of the Borromeo Gulf and the islands of the same name, easily reachable from here.
With the Stresa-Alpino-Mottarone cableway, in about 20 minutes, it is possible to reach an altitude of 1491 meters above sea level. on top of the Mottarone, an exceptional panoramic point that allows you to range from the top of the Alps, to the Maggiore and Orta lakes, up to the Po valley.
An intermediate stop in Alpino offers the opportunity to visit the Alpinia Botanical Garden which, located in a beautiful panoramic position, is dedicated to typical alpine plants and other origins.
What see
Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori form the splendid Borromean Islands.
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Isola Bella is home to the home of the Borromeo family, a magnificent Baroque palace embellished with scenic flower gardens which, through overlapping terraces, develop in the typical example of a seventeenth-century Italian garden.
Isola Madre, the largest of the Borromean Islands, stands out for its refined and collected environment, characterized by fine specimens of exotic plants and flowers.
Occupied largely by gardens, the island also houses a sixteenth-century palace, where it is possible to admire collections of dolls, liveries, porcelain and ancient puppet theaters.
Isola del Pescatore, one of the most picturesque places on Lake Maggiore, is the typical fishing village, with houses, narrow streets and the parish church.
There are restaurants and small shops.
From Stresa northwards you reach the elegant town of Pallanza, a village of Roman origins, famous for the Botanical Gardens of Villa Taranto.
The Rocca di Angera rises on a rocky outcrop in the southern part of Lake Maggiore.
It is considered an excellent example of a fortified medieval building, owned by the Visconti family until 1449, when it was purchased by the Borromeo family, to which it belongs today.
The Rocca houses the Doll and Toy Museum.
On the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, perched on a rocky wall overlooking the lake, stands the Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso, one of the most suggestive places on the lake.
The train of the Centovalli offers a very interesting route that winds between Lake Maggiore and Switzerland, crossing valleys and beautiful landscapes.
