| Lake Maggiore ((it)Lago Maggiore, (it) Verbano) | |
 | |
| View from Isola Bella | |
| Information | |
| Country |  Italy  Swiss |
|---|---|
| Region (s) | Piedmont Lombardy Ticino |
| Food | Ticino, Maggia, Toce, Tresa, San Bernardino, Acquanegra, Verzasca, Tiasca |
| Emissary | Ticino |
| Area | 212,5 km² |
| Maximum depth | 372 m |
| Average depth | 173 m |
| Altitude | 193 m |
| He is) | 11 |
| Main island (s) | Borromean Islands, Brissago Islands, Castelli di Cannero islets, Partegora islet |
| Location | |
 45 ° 57 ′ 0 ″ N 8 ° 36 ′ 0 ″ E | |
the lake maggiore is a glacial lake located south of the Alps, it is shared between the Italian regions of Piedmont and of Lombardy and the Swiss canton of Ticino. The most important riparian locality is Verbania in Italy.
Understand
Lake Maggiore is the second largest lake in Italy. With a length of 68 km and a coastline of over 150 km, the glacial lake stretches from the Swiss canton of Ticino to the north and then between two major Italian regions, Piedmont and Lombardy. With the climate being mild all year round, the region is covered with Mediterranean vegetation and exotic plants. Surrounded by beautiful towns and villages with lush botanical gardens, incredible islands and a backdrop of Swiss mountains, Lake Maggiore has become a prime tourist destination, mainly for tourists from Central and Northern Europe.
Regions and cities
Italian shores
Piedmont
From North to south :
- Cannobio - small town in 10 min from the Swiss border, with a Sunday market, a Renaissance church and a lakeside path.
- Cannero Riviera - Nice little town with an abandoned island (Cannero Castle).
- Oggebbio
- Ghiffa
- 1 Verbania – Largest city by the lake.
- Baveno
- 2 Stresa – The city, an important tourist resort on the west shore, owes its fame to the proximity of the Borromean Islands and is particularly renowned for its luxury hotels.
- Belgirate
- Lesa
- Meina
- 3 Arona
- Dormelletto
- Castelletto sopra Ticino
Lombardy
From south to north:
- Sesto Calende
- Angera
- Ranco
- Ispra
- Brebbia
- Besozzo
- Monvalle
- Leggiuno
- Laveno
- Castelveccana
- Porto Valtravaglia
- Brezzo di Bedero
- Germignaga
- 4 Luino – Town of 14,000 inhabitants with a large weekly market
- Maccagno
- Tronzano Lago Maggiore
- Pino sulla Sponda del Lago Maggiore
Swiss shores
- 5 Locarno – Largest Swiss town on the lake.
- Ranzo
- Gerra
- San Nazzaro
- Vira
- Magadino
- Tenero
- Ascona
- Ronco sopra Ascona
- Brissago
- Minusio
- Muralto
Other destinations
- 1 Borromean Islands (Isole Borromee) – A group of three small islands and two islets located between Verbania in the north and Stresa in the south
- 2 Brissago Islands (Isole di Brissago) – Two islets located in the Swiss part of the lake near Ronco sopra Ascona and Brissago.
- 3 Castelli di Cannero – Three islets just off the coast of Cannero Riviera
- 4 Partegora islet (Isolino Partegora) – In the Gulf of Angera, dominated by the Rocca d'Angera
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To go
By train
Several train services serve parts of Lake Maggiore.
TiLO operates trains from Terminal 1 at Milan Malpensa Airport on the east side of the lake to Bellinzona in Switzerland north of the lake. The first station by the lake is in Laveno. The line then goes to Caldè - Porto Valtravaglia - Luino (compulsory stop with change of FS / SBB personnel) - Colmegna - Maccagno - Pino-Tronzano - Ranzo-S.Abbondio - Gerra (Gambarogno) - S. Nazzaro - Magadino and Bellinzona. Press the button to stop. From Bellinzona there are services to Locarno on the lake. Trains come from the north through the Gotthard tunnel to Bellinzona, where you can take the S30 or Locarno train.
On the Milan-Domodossola line: Trenord operates trains from Milan, via Gallarate (near Malpensa airport), up the western shore of the lake to Verbania-Pallanza station, before leaving the lake towards Domodossola then Switzerland. Some services stop at fewer stations than others. The full range of stops on the lake are Sesto Calende, Dormelletto, Arona, Meina, Lesa, Belgirate, Stresa, Baveno, Verbania-Pallanza
By plane
The nearest larger airports are in Lugano and Milan. From Milano Malpensa Airport, most parts of Lake Maggiore can be reached by bus or train.
- Alibus, ☎ 39 0323-552172, e-mail: [email protected]. A seasonal (April-Oct) on-call service that connects the two terminals of Malpensa Airport to the west side of the lake with stops at Arona - Meina - Solcio - Lesa - Belgirate - Stresa - Baveno - Feriolo - Fondotoce - Verbania Suna - Verbania Pallanza and Verbania Intra. Services are at 2-3 h interval. Book before 11 h the day before departure (before 11 h Saturday for Monday trips), choosing from fixed times. Buy tickets on board, in cash only. 15 € in Verbania
By car
Coming from Milan, Lake Maggiore can be reached by the
(Autostrada dei Laghi). In Gallarate, you can choose on the A8 / A26 junction (Gallarate-Gattico branch), or continue on the A8 until you arrive in Varese.
- If you choose the A8 / A26 Gallarate-Gattico branch, you can use one of the following two outputs:
- The Sesto Calende - Vergiate exit is preferred for destinations on the east coast of the lake.
- The Castelletto Ticino exit is preferable to destinations in the southern part of the lake west of the coast, from this exit you can take the national road 33 de la Sempione, which runs along the west shore.
- If you continue on the A8, immediately before arriving in Varese follow the signs for Laveno / Luino, thus arriving directly on the northeast coast of Lake Maggiore.
