Lago Maggiore Travel Guide

Lake Maggiore is a magical glacial lake anchoring the mountains which step up into the Italian Alps.  This is the heart of the 'Lakes District' of Italy,  kilometres from Magadino to Sesto Calende; its maximum width is of 4.5 kilometres (between Cannero Riviera and Germignaga). The lakes major surface is to be found in Italian territory, where it acts as a boundary between the region Piemonte and region Lombardia; only the extreme northern sector (42 Km) belongs to Switzerland. Its coastline is 166 kilometres long.

The lakeside villages are too pretty to be true. You can take trips on the lake and visit the islands that lay in it. Stresa in Piemonte is a good base for enjoying the lakeside. It is an old fishing village that now thrives on tourism - but it has retained its charm. In weekends it can be a bit crowded with people from Turin and Milan flocking in.

Particularly favoured by a mild climate and equiped with excellent Hotel facilities and numerous camping sites, Lake Maggiore is a popular tourist area with many international renowned destinations such as Arona, Belgirate, Stresa (which a modern cableway connects to the ski slopes of Mottarone), Baveno Verbania, Cannero Riviera and Cannobio.

Cruising the lake with modern boats and fast hydrofoils is a very developed activity; there is a frequent ferry service for cars and passengers between Intra (Verbania) and Laveno. For sport fans, there exist a vast range of choices: fishing, water skiing, rowing, sailing, swimming, the possibility of using winter sport facilities in Mottarone, Pian di Sole and Piancavallo and of the three golf courses in Stresa, Gignese and Premeno.