Lake Maggiore, Italy
A Tale of Two Shores: Exploring the Grandeur of Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore is a sprawling masterpiece of glacial water that straddles two worlds: the rugged, sun-drenched Italian provinces of Piedmont and Lombardy, and the dramatic, soaring peaks of the Swiss Canton of Ticino. It is a place of geographical contrasts, stretching nearly 40 miles and acting as a shimmering bridge between the Mediterranean spirit and Alpine precision.
I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Lake Maggiore on two distinct occasions, exploring vastly different reaches of its shoreline. Whether you are seeking the genteel elegance of the south or the wild, high-altitude views of the north, this lake never fails to captivate.
From Lake Como to the Swiss Alps: A Locarno Adventure
My first introduction to Maggiore came in the fall of 2018 under rather serendipitous circumstances. Charles and I were staying at my favorite haunt on Lake Como, Filario Hotel in Lezzeno, and had planned a day on the water. However, Mother Nature had other ideas; gale-force winds whipped the lake into a frenzy, forcing our private boat charter to be rescheduled. Not to be deterred by a bit of weather, we decided to trade the hull for four wheels and “hop over” to the Swiss side.
We caught the traghetto car ferry from Bellagio to Cadenabbia, leaving the whitecaps of Como behind to wind through the lush Val Menaggio toward Porlezza. After skirting the northern edge of Lake Lugano, we climbed the Monte Ceneri Pass, descending into the expansive Magadino Plain before finally reaching the sun-drenched, charming town of Locarno, Switzerland.
Locarno is famous for its Mediterranean microclimate – palm trees thrive here despite the snowy peaks in the background – and for its world-class film festival. By the time we arrived, the sky was a piercing, clear blue. We ducked into Tesoro Cafe on the historic Piazza Grande for a pizza and salad, narrowly avoiding disaster when a massive wind gust sent a patio umbrella crashing into a nearby table!
High Altitudes and Sacred Sites: Madonna del Sasso and Cardada
After lunch, we took the funicular to the Santuario della Madonna del Sasso. Perched on a craggy outcrop, this 15th-century pilgrimage church is the most famous landmark in Locarno, appearing to hover over the city with its vibrant ochre facade.
Leaving Charles to enjoy the serenity of the sanctuary, I took the gondola up another 4,400 feet to the top of Cardada, Locarno’s “local mountain.” I hiked through the woods to the Passerella Panoramica di Cardada, a dramatic cantilevered viewing platform that thrusts you out over the abyss. The panoramic views of the Alps and Lake Maggiore were staggering; from here, the Brissago Islands in the distance looked like tiny emerald specks on a sapphire sea.
Before heading back to Italy, we made a quick stop in Bellinzona, the capital of Ticino, to visit Castello di Sasso Corbaro. This fortress, part of a UNESCO World Heritage trio of castles, sits high above the valley and offers a stern, beautiful glimpse into the medieval defense of the Alpine passes.
The Aristocratic Heart: Stresa and the Borromean Islands
In 2023, I returned to Maggiore, this time approaching from the south. En route from Casa di Langa in the Langhe region to (once again!) Filario Hotel, we stopped in Stresa, the “Pearl of Lake Maggiore.” Stresa is the epitome of Belle Époque grandeur, lined with opulent hotels and 19th-century villas that overlook the Borromean Gulf.
The day was pure magic – warm October sun and an aqueous haze that made the mountains look like watercolor paintings. From Piazza Marconi, I had arranged a private water taxi to take our group to the Isole Borromee, the island chain that has been owned by the noble Borromeo family since the 14th century.
Lunch on Isola dei Pescatori
Our first stop was Isola Superiore, better known as Isola dei Pescatori (Fishermen’s Island). Unlike the grand, theatrical palace islands nearby, this is a soulful, inhabited village of narrow cobblestone alleys and a palpably timeless atmosphere. We wandered along Via Lungo Lago to Ristorante Casa Bella, where we were ushered upstairs to a table that felt as though it were suspended directly over the lake.
Lunch was served beside a tall, second-story window that framed Lake Maggiore like a living Renaissance painting. The perspective was hypnotic; we watched the rhythmic, emerald water lapping just inches below the stone foundation, while the distant, hazy outlines of the Alpine foothills melted into the horizon. There is something truly restorative about sipping a crisp local white wine while the gentle clack-clack of boat hulls provides the soundtrack to your meal.
The Botanical Masterpiece of Isola Bella
The true centerpiece of the afternoon was Isola Bella. While the Palazzo Borromeo is a dark, cool treasure trove of baroque art and pebble-encrusted grottoes, we spent the bulk of our time in the world-renowned Italian Baroque Garden.
Thanks to the lake’s unique microclimate, the garden is a lush, improbable paradise where Mediterranean and tropical species flourish right at the foot of the Alps. The air was thick with the perfume of late-blooming roses and the sweet, citrusy musk of ancient lemon trees. We wandered past towering camellias and rhododendrons that looked more like trees than shrubs, their waxy leaves reflecting the bright October sun.
The showstopper, however, is the Teatro Massimo. It is a magnificent, ten-tiered “wedding cake” of a structure, draped in an explosion of greenery and flowers. Each stone level was overflowing with cascading bougainvillea, vibrant hibiscus, and the silver-green leaves of rare exotics that seemed to defy the northern latitude. At the very peak of this stone-and-flower pyramid stands the colossal statue of a unicorn, the heraldic symbol of the Borromeo family, silhouetted against the blue sky.
Just in front of the Teatro lies the Giardino d’Amore. Here, formal box-hedge parterres are manicured into a geometric masterpiece that resembles living green embroidery. Around the central lily pond, the meticulously kept beds were a riot of color, featuring organized drifts of begonias and salvia that framed the view of the steep Alpine mountains dropping precipitously into the lake.
Before our water taxi returned to whisk us back to the mainland, we indulged in a well-earned gelato at Caffetteria Della Torre, tucked away in the historic Torre della Noria.
A Stylish Departure: Shopping at the Missoni Outlet
No trip with me is complete without a bit of “retail therapy.” As we left the lake region heading toward Como, we detoured to the secret Missoni outlet in Golasecca (sadly, now permanently closed). It was a hidden gem for fans of the iconic zig-zag “M” motif. We had a blast hunting through the racks, though fitting all those colorful shopping bags into the car alongside our luggage for the drive back to Filario was a feat of engineering that would have made the Borromeos proud!
Last visited in October, 2023
