Eremo di Santa Caterina del Sasso panorama. Color image

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Lake Maggiore

Maggiore is Italy’s international lake – its northernmost point protrudes sinuously into Switzerland, while its Italian shores are shared by Piedmont (west) and Lombardy (east). Free of Como’s overt glamour or Garda’s Disney-esque theme parks, it is often considered the most peaceful of northern Italy’s great bodies of water, its shores a little less crowded and its hinterland intriguingly wilder. The star attractions are the Borromean Islands, which, like a fleet of fine vessels, lie at anchor at the Borromean Gulf’s (Golfo Borromeo) entrance, an incursion of water between the lake’s two main towns, Stresa and Verbania.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Baroque garden on the Island of Bella in Lake Maggiore.

    Isole Borromeo

    Lake Maggiore

    The Borromean Gulf forms Lake Maggiore's most beautiful corner, sheltering the Borromean Islands and their spectacular, privately owned palaces. Closest…

  • Villa Della Porta Bozzolo

    Villa della Porta Bozzolo

    Lake Maggiore

    In the unassuming town of Casalzuigno, about 9km east of Laveno, generations of nobles have swanned about the magnificent gardens of Villa della Porta…

  • Santa Caterina del Sasso

    Santa Caterina del Sasso

    Lake Maggiore

    One of northern Italy's most spectacularly sited monasteries, Santa Caterina del Sasso clings to the high rocky face of Lago Maggiore's southeast shore…

  • Two-seat cable cars take you gently up almost to the summit of Sasso del Ferro mountain, from where you can admire a magnificent view over Lake Maggiore.

    Laveno Funivia

    Lake Maggiore

    A highlight of Laveno is the Funivia, which whisks passengers up to a panoramic spot 949m above sea level, in the shadow of the Sasso del Ferro peak …

  • Rocca di Angera

    Rocca di Angera

    Lake Maggiore

    The chunky medieval Rocca di Angera fortress lords it over the town of Angera in no uncertain terms. From a distance, it is the first thing one sees…

  • Oasi della Bruschera

    Oasi della Bruschera

    Lake Maggiore

    One of the last remaining wooded wetlands in Lombardy, this 400-hectare site has several trails including a lakeside path with fine views across the reed…

  • Lungolago di Stresa

    Lungolago di Stresa

    Stresa

    For the best passeggiata (afternoon stroll) on Lake Maggiore head for Stresa, where a 2km-long lakeside promenade meanders through florid gardens and past…

  • Giardino Botanico Alpinia

    Giardino Botanico Alpinia

    Stresa

    More than 1000 alpine and subalpine species flourish in this 4-hectare botanical garden set partway up Monte Mottarone. It was founded in 1934 and…

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Lake Maggiore and beyond

Beyond Lake Maggiore
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