Holiday in Lago Maggiore

What makes Lago Maggiore special as a destination?

Lago Maggiore is shared between Italy and Switzerland, combining alpine drama with Mediterranean flair. The Borromean Islands in the center of the lake are the jewel: Isola Bella with its baroque palace and ten-tiered terraced gardens looks like a floating castle, Isola Madre houses the oldest botanical garden in the region, and Isola dei Pescatori enchants with its authentic fishing village. Stresa, the elegant main town on the western shore, serves as a base for island excursions and cable car rides to Monte Mottarone (1,491 meters). Verbania impresses with the Villa Taranto gardens, which are among the most beautiful in Europe with 20,000 plant species. Cannobio at the Swiss border is a picturesque harbor town with a Sunday market. The Swiss shore with Locarno and Ascona offers film festival glamour and Mediterranean atmosphere north of the Alps. The Santa Caterina del Sasso, a monastery built against a cliff, is accessible by boat or via a steep staircase. The lake is also a gateway to the wild and romantic side valleys: Val Grande is the largest wilderness national park in Italy. Culinary delights in the region include Ossobuco, Gorgonzola (from nearby Novara), and fish from the lake.