Italy - Lago Maggiore

Lago Maggiore is one of the beautiful, most visited lake in Europe, a part of Swiss and Italian territory.

It is a place where one could take a few days to relax, a hide away after Christmas and New Year celebration, a hectic life, school and job activities where there are few tourist around in low seasons.

It is only about 4 hours travelling with our auto from Bern passing the Gothard Tunnel, Locarno, with a short stop in Baveno Promenade, Stresa to Meina in Residence Antico Verbano, where we stayed for 3 days.

Government and private transportation facilities, accomodations, tour excursions can be self organized or through travel agencies.

Lake Maggiore is one of the greatest alpine lakes with a length of 54 km and max. 10 km wide. About 20% of the northern arm of Lake Maggiore in the Province of Ticino is on Swiss territory. Italian territory has 80% of Lake Maggiore which forms the border between the regions of Lombardy and Piemont.

The main inflows tributaries are the Ticino, the Maggia, the Toce, which receives its water from the Lake Orta and Tresa.

Verbania, Stresa, Arona in Italian side, Locarno and Ascona on the Swiss territory are the best known and most beautiful resorts of Lake Maggiore,

The 3 islands: the Borromean Islands of Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori (Fisherman's Island) has made the Lago Maggiore more interesting and unique. a gem of nature and beauty. In the Middle Ages they were fortifications and religious center. During the Baroque era, the islands were given their typical appearance by the Borromeo family, whose names they bear.

It is recommended to take a boat trip to the Borromean Islands of Isola Bella, with its beautiful 17th Century and the large beautiful poetic gardens, attractive palaces, the fishermen's houses of Isola Pescatori is one of the attractions of Lake Maggiore.

Lago Maggiore is formerly a resort area of the high society. Now it could be visited by any normal tourist, holiday makers, day visitors at reasonable cost.

A wondeful and beautiful panorama of the 3 island can be admired In Stresa and Boveno promenade, More fantastic green and colorful scenery in Spring and Summer time.

The surroundings of Stresa is in all seasons a wonderful tourist destination. The middle of the Alps, Mottarone (1491 m) can be reached with a cable car just a few minutes. One can enjoy the magnificent view of the entire Lake Maggiore and lake Orta, the glacier-covered peaks of the Alps of Valais and Ticino. In summer you can hike high above the lake and in winter enjoy skiing around the Mottarone.

Arona has a beautiful lake promenade, lots of restaurants and is the most visited city even in Winter season. Most visitors are from Mailand.

Arona has a typical medieval character, although its origins date back to about 1500 BC. Testimonies of the Gallic and Roman rule can be admired in the museum of Arona.

Due to its exposed location and the harbor on Lake Maggiore, it rapidly became a rich trading city.

A beautiful panorama from the Lake Promenade one can admire the castle, the. Rocca di Arona, The castle was ruled by the archbishops of Milan, the Torriani families, Visconti and Carlo Borromeo, which was after his canonization, a 35 m high statue was erected.