Lake Maggiore, Lake Orta and Locarno - islands, gardens and mountain air

In a nutshell: Begin with the Italian Lakes overview, then use Stresa for the Borromean Islands and Mottarone, Verbania for gardens and the western shore, Lake Orta for a quieter medieval lake, or Locarno for Swiss old-town lanes, funiculars and mountain trains. The northern shore also opens into Cannobio, Laveno, the Val Verzasca and the Centovalli.

Maggiore's character

Maggiore is Italy's second-largest lake, ringed by Stresa, Verbania and Cannobio on the Italian side and Locarno across the Swiss border. Wooded hills rise behind the shore, with villas, gardens and occasional castles, while snow-covered Swiss peaks form a distant backdrop. Cable cars from Locarno and Laveno turn those slopes into viewing platforms, and the water makes it easy to reach islands and monasteries without retracing the road.

The lake has a strong belle-époque identity. The opening of the Simplon Pass in the late 19th century made it a fashionable destination, and grand hotels, Liberty promenades and lakeside gardens still define the atmosphere. Lake Orta lies beyond Monte Mottarone, while the high valleys west of Locarno add bungee jumping, river swimming and the slow Centovalli Railway.

A Maggiore plan

1. 01One day: Have breakfast in Stresa, boat to Isola Bella, Isola dei Pescatori and Isola Madre, walk the 2 km Lungolago and finish with an aperitivo at Hemingway Bar.
2. 02Three days: Add Parco Pallavicino and the Giardino Botanico Alpinia, then take a boat to Santa Caterina del Sasso and Verbania's gardens. Eat outdoors at Osteria del Castello.
3. 03A week or more: Cross to Lake Orta, continue to Cannobio, take a motorboat or the Orrido di Sant'Anna walk, then explore Locarno, Cimetta, the Centovalli Express and the Val Verzasca.

When Maggiore is at its best

Much of the lake becomes quiet from November through March. April brings the reopening of restaurants, hotels and tour operators; May combines lower lodging prices with spectacular garden blooms; July is strongest for swimming, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards; August brings the Locarno Film Festival; October is excellent for hiking and cycling; and December keeps Locarno active with festive windows, markets, roasted chestnuts and mulled wine.

Stresa

Stresa has sunrise views, Liberty hotels and a 2 km waterfront promenade facing Isola Bella. The Via Severiana Augusta once connected Milan with the Simplon Pass through this area, and the fishing hamlet first appears in records as Strixia in 998 CE. Steamboats began moving goods between Arona and Magadino in the 19th century, after which artists, film stars, industrialists and royalty made the town a resort.

Lungolago and Parco Pallavicino

The Lungolago di Stresa passes gardens, grand hotels, statues, fountains and sculptures dedicated in part to WWII events. The route is about 2 km long and reaches the Carciano ferry dock. Parco Pallavicino is an easy 1 km walk southeast along SS33. Its 18 hectares hold lawns, woodland, flower beds and a 50-species rescue zoo with dwarf rabbits, Tibetan sheep, llamas, fallow deer and Checca, a Sarus crane that has lived there for more than 30 years. Adult admission is €15 and child admission €10.

Ernest Hemingway stayed at the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées in 1918 while recovering from his ambulance-driver service on the Italian front. Room 106 is now the Hemingway Suite, and the experience later informed A Farewell to Arms. The hotel's Hemingway Bar serves a martini on its terrace from 6pm to midnight; Sky Bar runs noon to 11:30pm, Marconi Beach Stresa 10am to midnight and El Gato Negro 11am to midnight.

Giardino Botanico Alpinia and Mottarone

Giardino Botanico Alpinia occupies 4 hectares partway up Monte Mottarone and contains more than 1000 alpine and subalpine species, including trees and shrubs from China and Japan. Founded in 1934, it costs €5 for adults and €4.50 for children. The Stresa-Mottarone cable car has been out of action since 2021, so reach the garden by road; it is a 10 km drive from Stresa and the tourist office can say whether a bus is running.

Monte Mottarone reaches 1492 m. From the summit, clear weather can reveal Lake Orta, smaller lakes and Monte Rosa. Walking from Stresa takes about 4 1/2 hours over 12 km and roughly 1300 m of elevation gain, passing Someraro, Levo and Alpino, the botanic garden, forest and mountain pastures. Red-and-white LV1 signs mark the ascent, and Rifugio Genziana serves mountain food with vegetarian options.

Alpyland is a 1200 m two-seat bobsled track near the top of Mottarone. It costs €6.50 for adults and €5.50 for children, accepts riders over four years old and 100 cm tall, and lets you control speed with a manual brake. It is open year-round, but from November through March it operates at weekends only; from Stresa, allow about 30 minutes by car. Mottarone Adventure Park costs from €18 for adults and €16 for children, with easy to difficult treetop courses, a zipline and climbs up to 13 m. The private road can carry a €10 toll.

Food and ferries in Stresa

The surrounding valleys produce Bettelmatt, an Alpine cow's-milk cheese aged at least three months in Val Formazza, and Ossolano d'Alpe Monscera, made from cows grazing above 1500 m. For meals, Il Clandestino focuses on seafood from noon to 2:30pm Friday to Sunday and 7pm to 10pm Wednesday to Monday; Il Vicoletto changes its menu; Osteria Mercato serves classics and creative plates; and Osteria degli Amici pairs osso buco with risotto or grilled sea bass.

Navegazione Lago Maggiore operates the ferries from Navigazione Laghi. Stresa connects to the Borromean Islands in 10 to 35 minutes, Verbania Pallanza in 45 minutes and Santa Caterina del Sasso in 15 minutes. The service is reduced from November to March, and summer weekends can produce long lines, so buy ahead when a day depends on several crossings.

Arona, Angera and Santa Caterina del Sasso

South of Stresa, Arona is associated with Carlo Borromeo, who was born to a noble family here and became archbishop of Milan at 25. The Sacro Monte di San Carlo commemorates him with a 35 m hollow bronze-and-copper statue completed in 1698. The adult and child ticket is €10 and €5; visitors can climb inside to look through the giant's eyes, although the ladder-like staircase is unsuitable for people with vertigo and children under six.

Arona and Angera are connected by regular ferries that take 10 minutes. From Stresa, the train or bus takes about 30 minutes, while only one late-afternoon boat makes the direct trip practical. The Rocca di Angera is a 15th-century fortress with the 12-room Museo della Bambola, more than 1000 dolls, French and German mechanical figures from 1870 to 1920 and the Sala della Giustizia with 13th-century frescoes. Adult admission is €14.50 and child admission €9.50; the castle is a 1.5 km walk from the Angera dock.

Carlo Borromeo used his wealth to feed thousands during the famine and plague of 1576, going into debt to help the hungry. He was canonised by Pope Paul V in 1610. Nearby Santa Caterina del Sasso is a 13th- and 14th-century monastery built on a rocky shore. Reach it by 80 steps from the ferry or 240 steps from the car park, with a lift for €1 each way. Inside are a 16th-century danza macabra fresco, a Gothic portico and chapels combined into a church of several periods. The best morning ferry from Stresa leaves at 9:05am, with returns at 10:05am or 11:10am.

Borromean Islands

Three of the four Borromean Islands are open: Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola Superiore, also called Isola dei Pescatori. Tiny San Giovanni is closed to visitors. Ferries depart from Stresa, Lido di Carciano and Verbania Pallanza. A day ticket covering all three islands costs €17 for adults and €9 for children; private taxi boats charge €8 to €15 depending on the number of islands. Give each island two to three hours, especially in summer.

Isola Bella and Palazzo Borromeo

Isola Bella was a rocky fishing island before Carlo III built Palazzo Borromeo for his wife in the 17th century. Only about 16 people live there year-round, while summer boats bring a much larger population. The palace has a 130-piece Borromeo collection, rooms such as the Sala di Napoleone, Sala da Ballo, Sala del Trono and Sala delle Regine, and works associated with Rubens, Titian, Paolo Veronese, Andrea Mantegna, Van Dyck and José Ribera.

Ten terraces make up the gardens. The Teatro Massimo rises among statues, fountains, obelisks and a unicorn, while camphor trees, giant rhubarb, exotic flowers and white peacocks fill the lower levels. A combined ticket with Isola Madre costs €32 for adults and €18 for children. Napoleon arrived without warning in 1797 with 60 people, while his wife returned in 1806 and Eugène de Beauharnais visited in 1807.

Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori

Isola Madre is occupied by Palazzo Madre and its gardens. The palace costs €18 for adults and €10.50 for children and contains antique furnishings, family portraits, a Venetian Lounge built around trompe l'oeil, a 17th-century marionette theatre and an English-style garden. South African proteas grow among the grounds, white peacocks and golden pheasants roam freely, and a Kashmir cypress planted in 1862 survived a 2006 tornado after being replanted with cable supports.

Isola Superiore is the smallest inhabited island and keeps the atmosphere of a fishing village. Chiesa di San Vittore is busiest on 14 August, when the Virgin of Assunta is carried around the island among candlelit boats. CasaBella offers a tasting menu from €75 with lake fish, duck breast, celery root, coconut and mushrooms; reservations are essential, and the restaurant can arrange a mainland boat at night for €10 per person.

Verbania

Verbania is two settlements joined by royal decree in 1939. Pallanza faces west with a quieter promenade and sculptures, while Intra has the larger market and vehicle ferries to Laveno. Steam-powered mills and a century of textiles and manufacturing earned Verbania the nickname Manchester of Italy. Boats connect Pallanza with Stresa and the islands, and the trip between Pallanza and Intra takes 15 to 20 minutes.

Villa Taranto and Museo del Paesaggio

Villa Taranto's gardens cost €13 for adults and €7 for children. Scottish captain Neil McEacharn bought the Normandy-style villa in 1931 and planted about 20,000 species over the next 30 years. The dahlia path displays more than 300 varieties from June to October, while April and May bring dogwood and other spring flowers and the hothouses hold equatorial water lilies. The villa has its own dock or can be reached in about 30 minutes on foot from Pallanza.

Museo del Paesaggio occupies a 17th-century palazzo and costs €8 for adults and €5 for children. The collection includes sculptures by Paolo Troubetzkoy, born nearby in 1866, with portraits of Toscanini, Tolstoy and George Bernard Shaw, plus changing exhibitions by Daniele Ranzoni and Federico Ashton. Parco di Villa Giulia is a five-minute walk from Piazza Garibaldi; its yellow Liberty villa once belonged to Bernardino Branca, inventor of Fernet, and now hosts occasional exhibitions.

The waterfront, market and boat view

Lungolago di Pallanza has benches, shade trees, flowers, pastel 19th-century buildings and good sunset views. A 20-minute walk reaches Spiaggia di Suna, a small rocky beach with a cafe. On Saturdays, Intra's market fills four squares from 8am to 5pm with fruit, vegetables, cheese, bread, leather, jams and honeys. VCO Trasporti buses run every one to two hours between Verbania and Cannobio.

Tomaso Surf & Sail recommends a half-day boat hire for reaching distant parts of the lake and swimming stops. From the water, villas, Santa Caterina and the baroque gardens of Isola Bella and Isola Madre look entirely different. Verbania dining includes Gattabuia, Osteria del Castello, Ristorante Milano and Caffè delle Rose Bistrot, with lake fish, innovative Italian cooking, terrace dining and carefully paired wines.

Beyond Verbania

Cannobio has a cobbled centre, a public beach, motorboats, kayaks and walks along the Cannobino River. The 3 km route to Orrido di Sant'Anna takes about two hours, crosses a pedestrian suspension bridge and reaches a 17th-century church, rocky shallows and a narrow ravine carved by rushing water. Grotto Sant'Anna next to the ravine is a good lunch stop when reserved ahead.

Tomaso Surf & Sail rents SUPs, kayaks, windsurfing equipment and 40HP motorboats from €80 for two hours. The Castelli di Cannero, about 5 km south of Cannobio, are crumbling 14th-century ruins once used by the Mazzardi brothers, who were driven out by the Duke of Milan in 1414. The Lago Maggiore Zipline runs 1850 m, reaches 120 km/h and takes around 90 seconds; adult tickets are €38 and child tickets €34. The site also offers mountain bikes, e-bikes, unpaved tracks and a children's Troll Bridge.

Laveno is reached by frequent vehicle ferry from Intra. The Laveno Funivia costs €12 for adults and €8.50 for children return, takes about 15 minutes and reaches a viewpoint at 949 m beneath 1062 m Sasso del Ferro. Luino's Wednesday market has more than 350 stands, runs from 8:30am to 5pm and dates to 1535. Villa della Porta Bozzolo in Casalzuigno costs €12 for adults and €5 for children; its 1690 palazzo has frescoed rooms, a library and Italianate gardens with about 1000 rose species.

Maggiore's wine landscape includes Ghemme, a full-bodied red with DOCG status and at least three years of ageing, Nebbiolo producers south of the lake, Prünent wines made from a Nebbiolo clone grown in the Ossola valleys since the 1300s, and Angera vineyards that date to the 17th century. In Cannobio, Forno Zaccheo is the bakery, Grotto Sant'Anna is a Ticino-style tavern, L'Imbuto serves grilled fish and pizza, and Trattoria Ale & Vale focuses on pasta and seafood.

Lake Orta

Lake Orta, also called Lake Cusio, is a compact 13.4 km by 2.5 km lake separated from Maggiore by Monte Mottarone. Orta San Giulio sits on the eastern shore below a wooded hillside of chapels, and Isola San Giulio floats about 500 m offshore. The lake was formed by retreating glaciers and later saw Neolithic tribes, Lombards, Franks and medieval fiefdoms. Legro's painted walls preserve scenes connected to films made around Orta.

Getting to Orta and starting in the piazza

From the Maggiore area, three daily buses run from early June to early September, with the first at 9am. The journey to Orta San Giulio takes about 50 minutes and costs €5.10. From Milan, trains change at Novara and reach Orta-Miasino in about two hours, followed by the 3 km connection to the village. Navigazione sul Lago d'Orta boats leave Piazza Mario Motta for other shore towns. Come midweek in spring and summer to avoid the largest day-trip crowds.

Piazza Mario Motta is best early, with coffee facing Isola San Giulio and the Palazzotto on pillars at the square's northern end. Wednesday market day adds local energy. Chiesa dell'Assunta dates from the 15th century, was rebuilt in the 1700s and contains frescoes and paintings. Canoe Lago d'Orta rents kayaks, SUPs and pedalos from €15 for two hours; the launch is 800 m north along the waterfront and ID is required.

Isola San Giulio and the sacred mountain

The 12th-century Basilica di San Giulio dominates Isola San Giulio, with vivid frescoes, a crypt holding the remains of the Greek evangelist Giulio and a path called the Via del Silenzio. Aphorisms about silence accompany the walk around the island. On the mainland, the Sacro Monte di San Francesco has 20 chapels devoted to the life of St Francis. From Piazza Mario Motta, the cobbled Salita della Motta reaches the cemetery and then the wooded hillside of chapels.

Pella has a quiet waterfront plaza and a Romanesque church, Pettenasco has a leafy lake walk, Gozzano has a small beach and colourful centre, and Omegna anchors the northern shore with restaurants and a waterside promenade. Valstrona is a scenic drive northwest: 14 km of winding road follows the Torrente Strona to Forno, then a 3 km track reaches Campello Monti, a Walser mountain pasture settled in the 13th century. Omegna is also home to Alessi, founded in 1921; its large factory outlet is about 1 km north of Omegna-Crusinallo station.

Where to eat and sleep on Orta

• ✦Ristorante San Giulio: The only restaurant on Isola San Giulio, with a waterside setting, open 9am to 2:30pm Wednesday to Monday and 7:30pm to 10:30pm Friday and Saturday.
• ✦Venus: A broad menu and wine cellar on the waterfront piazza, open 8am to 10:30pm.
• ✦Enoteca Al Boeuc: A narrow-lane wine bar with share plates, open noon to 3pm and 6:30pm to 10pm.
• ✦Ristorante Sant'Antonio: Lakeside tables 2 km northeast of the centre, open noon to 2:30pm and 7pm to 10:30pm Wednesday to Monday.
• ✦Stays: Locanda di Orta has a wisteria-fringed roof terrace, Hotel Ristorante la Bussola has a pool and breakfast buffet, and Villa Crespi is an ornate Moorish villa with a spa and restaurant.

Locarno

Locarno has a near-Mediterranean atmosphere, palm trees, subtropical gardens, around 2300 hours of sunshine in its local description and Switzerland's lowest town elevation. The Renaissance Città Vecchia spreads from Piazza Grande, while Lake Maggiore and the mountain slopes frame the promenade. Milan's Duchy ruled Locarno after an invasion in 1342 until Swiss control in the early 1500s, and the city later hosted the 1925 Locarno Treaties.

An early-evening boat from Stresa or Verbania reaches Locarno, with a midday Saturday service; the dock is five minutes from Piazza Grande and the train station five minutes farther. Trains reach Bellinzona in 26 minutes and Lugano in one hour. Postal buses leave for the valleys, and the free Ascona-Locarno app offers attraction discounts through the tourist information service at ascona-locarno.com.

Old town, castle and sanctuary

Città Vecchia is a hilly mix of arcades, piazzas, churches and pastel Lombard houses. Castello Visconteo, a 15th-century fortress named for the Milanese Visconti, costs Sfr15 for adults and is free for children; its museum includes Roman and Bronze Age material and glass artefacts connected to local Roman manufacturing. Lido Locarno costs from Sfr18 for adults and Sfr11 for children and has an Olympic pool, slides, children's areas, an indoor pool, a lake beach and solar and hydropower systems.

Santuario della Madonna del Sasso is free and commemorates a vision said to have appeared to Bartolomeo d'Ivrea in 1480. A funicular runs every 15 minutes to Orselina and costs Sfr8 for adults and Sfr4 for children return. The 20-minute Via Crucis walk is a more atmospheric approach, passing chapels and statue groups including a Last Supper. The church contains Bramantino's 1522 Flight to Egypt.

Cardada, Cimetta and birds of prey

From Orselina, a cable car reaches 1332 m Cardada every 30 minutes. The adult and child fare is Sfr28 and Sfr14, and a treetop promenade ends at a lookout with 180-degree views over Locarno, Maggiore and the valleys. A side-seater chairlift continues to 1671 m Cimetta; the return trip from Orselina through Cardada costs Sfr36 for adults and Sfr18 for children. Marked trails range from 1 1/2 to four hours, with longer routes into Valle Maggia and Val Verzasca and winter skiing on the same slopes.

Falconeria Locarno costs Sfr29 for adults and Sfr22 for children. Shows with eagles, hawks, owls, vultures, storks, ibises and a clever crow take place at 11am and 3pm, in Italian and German. Locarno's Film Festival dates from 1946, lasts 11 days from early to mid-August, draws about 250,000 film fans and screens nightly in Piazza Grande for up to 8000 viewers. The main prize is the Pardo d'Oro.

Centovalli and the Locarno valleys

The Centovalli Railway from Locarno to Domodossola costs from Sfr29 return and takes just under two hours. The small train crosses 83 bridges and passes through 34 tunnels, waterfalls, vineyards, viaducts, church villages, ravines and chestnut forests. Ponte Brolla appears about 10 minutes after departure, with jade-green or topaz water and late-July cliff-diving championships. Sit on the left for the best views going to Domodossola.

Bus 1 reaches Ascona every 15 minutes. Bagno Publico Ascona is a free sandy beach with parking, loungers, food and ducks; Lido Ascona starts at €9. Isole di Brissago costs Sfr8 for adults and is free for children, with 1700 plant species, a free 30-minute guided tour and 15- to 20-minute boats from Ascona. At Verzasca Dam, a 220 m drop inspired GoldenEye; weekend jumps between Easter and October cost Sfr255 through Trekking Outdoor Team. Lavertezzo has the Ponte dei Salti and swimming pools, while storms can turn the river dangerous.

Valle Onsernone is reached by infrequent buses, including PostBus 324 to Spruga in about 80 minutes. The 8.4 km trail from Spruga to Comologno takes about four hours, passing Alpine rhododendrons, Laghetto Saléi and the Alpe Saléi hut at 1777 m. Other activities include tandem paragliding with Mountaingliders, skydiving with Para Centro Locarno, guided mountain biking with Ticino Free Ride, canyoning and rafting with Ticino Adventures, and llama treks with Lama Trekking Ticino.

Eating and sleeping in Locarno

• ✦L'Archetto: Thin-crust pizza at a budget-friendly price, noon to 2pm and 5pm to 8pm.
• ✦Osteria Chiara: Hearty food beneath a pergola or beside a fireplace, noon to 2:30pm and 6pm to 11pm Wednesday to Monday.
• ✦Sensi: Salads, risottos and grilled meat and fish beneath chestnut trees, 10am to 11pm.
• ✦Locanda Locarnese: Seasonal food in a rustic-elegant room, 6:30pm to 10:30pm Monday to Saturday.
• ✦Stays: Rio Muralto faces the railway station in a 19th-century villa, Piccolo Hotel keeps small rooms close to the centre, and Villa Sempreverde is an 18th-century house above Locarno with flower-filled gardens.

Places to stay around Maggiore and Orta