Lake Maggiore information – Northitaly Villas
Area tourist tips & advice – Vacation villa rentals!
Lake Maggiore is the second biggest Italian lake, its eastern bank is in Lombardy, the western in Piedmont while the northern section extends into Switzerland. The charming little towns along its shores are popular resorts today with their grand hotels recalling the Belle Epoque.
We’ll present you here the Lago Maggiore area where we can propose several exclusive and luxury villa rentals for your dream vacation!
TOWNS & SIGHT SEEING:
Arona (Piedmont) has a nice lakeside promenade and central pedestrian street with shops and restaurants. From Arona you can also take a short ferry ride (5-10 minutes) to the village Angera (Lombardy) on the other side of the lake to visit the Castle La Rocca.
Stresa (Piedmont) is the most famous village on Lake Maggiore with narrow streets featuring cafés, restaurants and small boutiques. Especially noteworthy are the Borromeo islands just in front of Stresa, these small islands include: Isola Bella with a majestic pallace, Isola dei Pescatori (Fishermen’s Island) and Isola Madre with its bothanical garden. From Stresa there is a cableway up to the Mottarone mountain providing a spectacular view over Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta. In winter it’s possible to ski there and in summer it’s a great day out for walking around or mountain biking your way down to Stresa.
Verbania (Piedmont) is the main town of Lake Maggiore and consists of several communes of which Pallanza and Intra are the most important. Pallanza is an elegant village with a long lakeside promenade. In between Pallanza and Intra is the Villa Taranto with bothanical gardens. Intra has many shops and restaurants and a ferry station where you can cross also with your car to Laveno on the other side of the lake.
Laveno (Lombardy) is a small charming village with a cableway towards a panoramic view. Just next to the golden triangle of Lake Maggiore (Stresa, Verbania, Laveno), don’t forget to visit the beautiful monastery of Santa Caterina del Sasso.
More up north are the attractive villages Cannero Riviera and Cannobio on the Piedmont side and Luino on the Lombardy side. Luino claims to have the largest weekly open market (on Wednesdays) of Northern Italy which is a nice day trip by ferry or car.
Switzerland is well worth a visit with the charming village of Ascona and the town of Locarno.
Explore the lake, mountains and valleys with the panoramic boat & train combination between Italy and Switzerland by the Lago Maggiore Express: a scenic round trip by boat between Stresa (IT) and Locarno (CH) and back by train via Domodossola.
NATURE & SPORTS:
The nature around Lake Maggiore is truly beautiful and worthwhile in every season from the shores of the lake to the hills around, up to the higher mountains. Beaches, water sports, boating are all within easy reach. Did you know there are more than 10 golf courses nearby? Enjoy the many scenic walking itineraries, mountain bike trails and natural reserves, and even skiing in winter!
FOOD & GASTRONOMY:
The Lake Maggiore area and the valleys in its hinterland are renowned in Italy and abroad for the cheeses produced from animals grazing on mountain pastures. Gorgonzola, Formagella, Bettelmatt, Ossolano d’Alpe, even better combined with the high quality honey produced in the area. The local cured meats (raw ham, bresaola, mortadella, salami) are delicious. Discover the various wines from the full-bodied reds like Ghemme Docg and Nebbiolo, to the local wines and spirits of Angera.
You’ll find typical excellent trattorias in every little village and exquisite Michelin starred restaurants around. Wine tours and tasting experiences can be organized, private chefs and cooking classes can come to your home!
So what a wonderful opportunity to discover the Lake Maggiore destination while relaxing in one of our exclusive rental villas!
Search directly for the available villas in the search bar above, or follow this link to see all of our villas at Lake Maggiore: Luxury vacation rental villas at Lake Maggiore.
