Where the Alps meet the Mediterranean
Lake Maggiore stretches 65 kilometres between Piedmont, Lombardy and Swiss Canton Ticino, sheltered by the Alps to the north and open to the Po Valley to the south. This position creates a unique microclimate where palms, camellias and citrus trees grow just kilometres from glaciers — a phenomenon that astonished Grand Tour travellers from Stendhal to Hemingway — and continues to make the Verbano one of Europe's most refined destinations.
The shores are a succession of noble villas, centuries-old parks and Art Nouveau hotels that preserve the Belle Époque atmosphere intact. The colour contrasts are breathtaking: the deep, ever-changing blue of the water, the emerald green of the botanical gardens, and in the background the perennial white of the Alpine peaks.
The Borromean Islands
The heart of Lake Maggiore beats in the Borromean Gulf, where three tiny islands concentrate an extraordinary density of beauty. From Stresa the ferry takes five minutes to reach them — but it feels like crossing centuries.
Isola Bella — The Baroque masterpiece
The Palazzo Borromeo and its ten descending terraces form a "pyramid" of gardens, statues and fountains that seems to float on the water. Designed in the seventeenth century as a tribute to Countess Isabella (hence the name), the island is an open-air Baroque theatre, watched over by the famous white peacocks that roam among the boxwood hedges. The shell-encrusted grottoes on the lower floor offer welcome coolness on summer afternoons.
Isola dei Pescatori — The authentic soul
The only island inhabited year-round. A labyrinth of narrow alleys, stone houses with flowering balconies and nets hung out to dry. Time seems to have stopped here: restaurants serve freshly caught lake fish, the scent of fried fish mingles with wisteria, and the evening silence — when the day-trippers have departed — is absolute. If you can, stay for dinner.
Isola Madre — The garden of silence
The largest and most peaceful of the three. A botanical paradise where the majestic Kashmir Cypress — the island's symbol, saved and replanted after the 2006 storm — towers above English-style lawns dotted with azaleas, rhododendrons and rare camellias. Golden pheasants and parrots live freely among the trees. The palace is more intimate than Isola Bella, with a small puppet theatre that delights visitors of all ages.
Stresa: gateway to the Borromean Gulf
The essential starting point for any lake exploration. Strolling along the lakefront, lined with palm trees and manicured flower beds, you breathe an air of understated elegance. The grand hotels — the Grand Hotel Des Iles Borromées, the Villa Aminta — tell stories of royalty and aristocrats who saw the lake as the perfect escape from city life.
From here ferries depart for the islands, the cable car climbs to Mottarone, and lakeside walks lead towards Baveno. Every evening, the sunset transforms the gulf into a scene no filter could ever improve.
The Colossus of San Carlo: Arona's giant
On the hill overlooking Arona stands one of the most extraordinary statues in the history of sculpture: the Colossus of San Carlo, affectionately called "San Carlone" by locals. Built between 1614 and 1698 to honour St Charles Borromeo — born in Arona in 1538 — it reaches a total height of 35 metres (23.4 metres for the statue, 11.7 for the granite pedestal).
Cutting-edge engineering
For over two centuries it was the tallest climbable statue in the world. The construction technique is a marvel of seventeenth-century engineering: a load-bearing core of masonry, iron and wood, covered with enormous hammer-beaten copper sheets joined by bolts. The right arm, extended in a blessing towards the lake, is angled to withstand strong winds and drain rainwater.
The model for the Statue of Liberty
According to tradition, sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi visited Arona to study the San Carlone's structure before designing the Statue of Liberty. The copper-sheet technique and the concept of a walkable interior reportedly became the guiding principle for the New York landmark.
Climbing inside the Saint
The experience is unique. Beyond the pedestal, visitors ascend spiral staircases and then steep ladders up to the head of the colossus. The space is tight and the atmosphere charged with metallic fascination. Through small openings at the eyes, nostrils and ears, you look out: the view embraces the entire southern basin of the lake and the Rocca di Angera on the opposite shore.
The Lombardy shore: Angera and Santa Caterina
Rocca di Angera
Directly opposite Arona, almost creating an architectural dialogue across the water, rises the Borromeo Fortress of Angera. This perfectly preserved medieval stronghold dominates the landscape with its crenellated walls. Inside, beyond the Justice Hall with its frescoed astrological cycles, it houses the Museum of Dolls and Toys — one of the most important in Europe — delighting visitors of all ages.
Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso
Perhaps the most mystical place on the entire lake. This monastery clings stubbornly to a sheer rock face above the water, halfway between Stresa and Laveno. Founded in the twelfth century by a merchant who survived a shipwreck, the hermitage is reached via a panoramic staircase or a modern lift carved into the stone. But it is from the lake — arriving by boat — that you truly appreciate its nature as an "architectural miracle" suspended between sky and water.
Nature and panoramas
Villa Taranto Botanical Gardens
The triumph of botany in Verbania. Scottish captain Neil McEacharn created in the 1930s a garden housing over 20,000 plant varieties, including the giant Victoria amazonica water lily with leaves two metres across. Seasonal blooms transform the paths into kaleidoscopes of colour: tulips in April, azaleas in May, dahlias in September.
Monte Mottarone — The balcony of seven lakes
From its 1,491-metre summit, the 360-degree view extends from the Alps (with Monte Rosa in the foreground) to the plains, and on clear days you can see seven lakes: Maggiore, Orta, Mergozzo, Varese, Comabbio, Monate and Biandronno. Reachable by cable car from Stresa (20 minutes) or by car along a panoramic road. In winter there are ski slopes; in summer hiking and mountain biking trails.
Cannobio and Val Cannobina
At the far north of the Piedmontese shore, Cannobio is a village that has preserved the authentic charm of a lakeside town, far from mass tourism. The Sunday market along the lakefront is an institution. A few kilometres away, the Orrido di Sant'Anna — a gorge carved by the Cannobino torrent — offers natural emerald-green pools and an ancient sanctuary clinging to the rock. Val Cannobina leads towards Switzerland through an unspoiled landscape.
Mergozzo and its lake
A hidden gem. Lake Mergozzo, once part of Lake Maggiore, is the second cleanest lake in Italy: no motors, no beach clubs, just crystal-clear water and a medieval stone village. Perfect for a day of relaxation away from the crowds.
What to eat at Lake Maggiore
The cuisine of the Verbano is refined freshwater cooking, combining the lakeside tradition with the richness of the Piedmontese hinterland.
Lake dishes
Perch fried or in risotto: the signature dish of the lake. The golden fillet, crispy outside and delicate within, is served in nearly every lakeside restaurant. Grilled whitefish (lavarello) or marinated in vinegar. Sun-dried shad (agone) — the "missoltino" — is a centuries-old tradition. And the risotto with perch fillets, which here reaches levels of perfection hard to find elsewhere.
Stresa's biscuits
Margheritine di Stresa: shortbread biscuits with cornmeal, butter and vanilla, created in 1857 in honour of Queen Margherita. You'll find them in the patisseries along the lakefront — the perfect edible souvenir.
Where to eat
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How to get there
From Milan
- Train: Milano Centrale → Stresa in 1h10 (Trenitalia, Milan-Domodossola line). Trains every hour.
- Car: A8 motorway (Milano-Laghi) then A26 (Genova Voltri-Gravellona Toce). Exit Carpugnino for Stresa, Baveno for mid-lake, Verbania for the northern area. About 1h15.
From Turin
- Car: A4 to Biandrate, then A26 towards Gravellona Toce. About 1h40.
- Train: Torino Porta Nuova → Milano Centrale → Stresa. About 2h with change.
From Malpensa Airport
Malpensa is the nearest airport, just 40 minutes from Stresa by car. Direct train connection: Malpensa Express to Milano Cadorna/Centrale, then change for Stresa. Alternatively, the Alibus service connects the airport to Stresa and Verbania.
Getting around the lake
Navigazione Lago Maggiore operates ferries and hydrofoils connecting all lakeside towns from Arona to Locarno (Switzerland). The day ticket is the most practical choice for exploring freely. Cars board the Laveno-Intra ferries to cross the lake (20 minutes).
Suggested itinerary: 2 days at Lake Maggiore
Day 1 — The Islands and Stresa
Day 2 — San Carlone and the Lombardy shore
Where to stay
Stresa is the most practical base: ferries, trains, cable car and restaurants all within walking distance. Baveno is the quieter alternative. For a luxury stay, the villas overlooking the gulf are unrivalled.
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When to visit Lake Maggiore
April–June: the best time overall. Gardens in bloom, mild temperatures (18-25°C), fewer crowds. Villa Taranto and Isola Madre are at their finest. Camellias flower as early as March.
July–August: high season. Hot temperatures (28-32°C), busy resorts, higher prices. Ideal for combining lake and mountain (Mottarone, hiking).
September–October: the connoisseurs' secret. Still mild weather, spectacular autumn colours, fewer tourists. The perfect time to explore at leisure.
November–March: many facilities closed (islands, Villa Taranto, San Carlone). The lake takes on a melancholy charm, ideal for short romantic stays. Christmas markets enliven Stresa and Arona in December.
Lake Maggiore map
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