Lake Maggiore and surroundings

We’re keeping our promise to explore and talk more about our beautiful country, and this time we are taking you with us to one of our favorite places in Northern Italy.

We recently spent a week on Lake Maggiore, and instead of just relaxing like we usually do, we decided to explore the area and highlight some of our favorite places we visited along its shores.
Lake Maggiore is not as famous and glamorous as Lake Como, but it’s no less beautiful and it’s a true Italian gem. The western shore of Lake Maggiore is in Piedmont and the eastern in Lombardy, so it’s only a one hour drive (or train ride) from the main cities of Turin and Milan, so you can definitely consider doing a day trip to the lake if you’re visiting the cities.

Keep reading below for our five top picks when visiting Lake Maggiore.

Borromean Islands: Isola Bella & Isola Madre

These two islands are part of the archipelago of the Isole Borromeo and are located 400 meters off Stresa. The aristocratic House of Borromeo, who used to own both islands until the 19th century, spent hundreds of years turning this once-rocks into a wonderland of delights. They are both the epitome of baroque art with its beautiful Palazzi and Italian style gardens.
Once you park in Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, you can take a boat (they leave approximately every 15 minutes) that will take you to the islands in 10 minutes. 
Our favorite of the two was Isola Bella (where we also had lunch at Il Fornello), which is known for the baroque palace and its beautiful gardens. But Isola Madre is definitely worth a visit as well, especially for its big and luscious garden full of many plant species from all over the world. 

Parco Pallavicino

Once a private residence, this beautiful estate is now a wildlife museum open to the public. The Parco Pallavicino is famous above all for the over 50 species of animals living there, from zebras to alpacas, goats, beautiful peacocks, but the real highlight is the fallow deers, that roam freely in the farm section. So if you want to realize your dream of meeting Bambi, this is the place for it.

Arona

Arona is a small town located on the Piedmont shore of Lake Maggiore. It’s famous for its riverside walk and, unlike Stresa, has many restaurants located right by the lake where you can dine while admiring the view. 

Il Sole di Ranco

Il Sole di Ranco is located on the Lombardy side of Lake Maggiore, so it’s the perfect place to admire the sunset, which, unfortunately, you can’t see from the Piedmont side. This is definitely one of our favorite hotels in the area, especially for its restaurant which is in a dreamy location. It’s definitely worth dining here especially in the summer where you can eat under the fresh pergola while tasting the delicious creations of chef Davide Brovelli (our favorite: the carbonara ravioli!).

Orta San Giulio

This charming borgo is located on Lake Orta just west of Lake Maggiore in northern Italy. If you wish to visit an authentic small Italian town made of cobblestone streets, outdoor restaurants and cafes in the main square and admiring the tiny island of San Giulio which is located right in the middle of the lake, this is the place for you! It also gave us major “Call me by your name” vibes, as it almost feels like walking on the set of an Italian movie.

We recommend eating at Pan & Vino and order one of their typical Italian taglieri and then explore the charm of this place to live a real Italian experience.