Whenever I recommend Lake Maggiore as a day trip or an overnight getaway from Milan, I’m always met with the same question: Why isn’t Lake Maggiore as popular as Lake Como?
Honestly, it’s something I’ve wondered more than once. Both are roughly an hour’s drive from Milan, but while Como has come to epitomise lakeside glitz and glamour, Maggiore remains relatively unsung. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s undiscovered. Italians have long-since vacationed there, as have the Swiss, Germans, Austrians and the French. But Lake Maggiore has nevertheless escaped the global spotlight. Some might prefer to keep it that way to avoid the tourism frenzy that has befallen Lake Como. But I don’t think it’s fair to sell Lake Maggiore short.
The scenery may be less dramatic than Lake Como’s steep, fjord-like cliffs, but it’s no less sublime. Its sapphire waters, which even appear silver in certain light, shimmer beneath Alpine peaks, while its palm trees, camellias and subtropical gardens give the shoreline an almost Mediterranean air. The lake is also inextricably tied to the aristocratic House of Borromeo, whose centuries-long legacy is most evident on the Borromean Islands, still owned by the family today.
Italy’s second-largest lake, Maggiore borders Piedmont to the west and Lombardy to the east, before dipping into Switzerland’s canton of Ticino, where towns such as Ascona and Locarno make for easy day trips. Ferries link the Italian and Swiss shores, and the Lago Maggiore Express combines a scenic cruise from Stresa with the Centovalli Railway through Alpine valleys and mountain villages.
Stresa, on the Piedmont shore – the setting for part of Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms – is not only one of my favourite towns but also my favourite base. It’s the lake’s grandest resort town, where Belle Époque hotels, elegant villas and lakeside gardens recall the golden age of travel. As the lake’s ferry hub, Stresa is a natural gateway to the Borromean Islands and beyond.
Further south, lively Arona has more of a local energy, with a bustling lakefront and independent boutiques. Plus, there’s a sizeable Loro Piana outlet in Romagnano Sesia, less than a half-hour drive inland. North of Stresa lies Verbania, home to the majestic Botanical Gardens of Villa Taranto, while the medieval lanes and postcard-perfect promenade of Cannobio, near the Swiss border, are unforgivably enchanting.
The Lombardy shore is a bit more low-key, but there’s still plenty to see and do, like the Rocca di Angera, a fairy-tale-like medieval fortress. The colours of Laveno-Mombello’s harbour are as vibrant as a Ligurian beach village, and the aerial cableway climbs nearly 950 metres to Monte Sasso del Ferro. The cars, inaugurated in 1963, are open-air and carry two people at a time. Be warned: they’re shaped like deep buckets and dangle like Christmas tree ornaments, so it’s not suited to agoraphobes. I’ve honestly never braved the ride because the cars kind of terrify me, but I know several people who have enjoyed it. Near the Swiss border, Luino comes alive every Wednesday, when nearly 400 market stalls fill the waterfront with everything from knitwear and leather goods to local cheeses and seasonal produce.
