• Lakes

Lago Maggiore Unspoilt landscapes

The extraordinary position of Maccagno offers a vantage point over Lake Maggiore, which we prefer to call “lago Maggiore”.

 

Here the onlooker’s gaze can reach out to the Swiss shore, on one side, and Stresa, on the other. The village is among the early settlements along the course of the Verbano river with a glorious past – underpinned, as the legend has it, by the hospitality given by the then Maccagno feud to Otto I in 962. In exchange, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire granted the feud independence, which it only lost in 1800 under the order of Napoleon. In the 17th century, Maccagno enjoyed the right to mint currency. In the lower part of the village, Maccagno Inferiore, a sanctuary juts out over the lake, Santuario della Madonnina della Punta. Another construction of interest is Palazzo Mandelli, which still retains its original towers and a few parts of its walls. The Museo Parisi Valle is a museum not to be missed. Built across the Giona river with a peculiar architecture, it hosts the works of the villager Giuseppe Parisi and his wife Wanda Valle as well as of the Italian artistic vanguard of the years1930 to 1980.

A ‘tropical’ forest
Lush vegetation, high humidity, a wide variety of ferns make the cascata di Fermona, in Ferrera di Varese, a unique waterfall surrounded by a quasi tropical landscape. The Margorabbia torrent originates from Valganna and falls 30 metres (100 ft.) down into a
calcareous rock ravine. This jump ends in a pond, where visitors can take a relaxing dip. In its upper course, close to Cunardo, the torrent sinks into a system of grottoes, i.e.
Pont Niv, Antro dei Morti, Grotte di Villa Radaelli and Grotte del Traforo. They can all be visited with the assistance of the Gruppo Speleologico Prealpino.

Piero and its mills
In Val Veddasca, time seems to stand still with a landscape of millstones, cows and goats,
to be reached by a quarter-of-an-hour walk from the forecourt of the Ponte di Piero cableway. In any case, the cableway goes up to Monteviasco. Mills dating back to the 18th century were built with stone and wood and restored in 1997. The landscape is pristine, the air is good and a few holiday farms serve local food (cheeses and cold meats) for the gourmets. At a short distance, the Giona torrent forms small spectacular waterfalls, where tourists can bathe in clean water. Braver visitors may also take a walk through a harsh trail that begins just beyond the mills and leads to an old stone bridge that crosses the river and climbs to Biegno, on the other side of Valle Veddasca.

Life in the days of yore
Do you want to take a break from civilisation? Then, Monteviasco is perfect for you. Perched on the slopes of Mount Pola, it can be reached on foot along a mule track for a total of 1400 steps to climb, or through the Ponte di Piero cableway. This village sits in the landscape with low-rise houses and their flagstone roofs and wooden balconies, winding alleyways, and rudimental stone paving (named ‘rizzada’). All around, the built area is surrounded by a wood of chestnut, beech and walnut trees. More towards the countryside, visitors can find the Santuario della Madonna della Serta dating back to 1890. In 1933 it was renovated, i.e. the octagonal building was redesigned into a Greek-cross layout. The project involved the full population including children. This sanctuary is also a pilgrimage destination and, on the last Sunday of May, a festival takes place with the traditional incanto dei canestri (auction of typical food baskets) and the participation of the music band of Curiglia.

The pleasant Luino
This municipality combines tourism, industry, history and modernity, in addition to being both Swiss and Italian. In other words, Luino is a multifaceted town with an enchanting lake front. It is also the birthplace of the Italian comedians Massimo Boldi and Francesco Salvi, the poet Vittorio Sereni and the novelist Piero Chiara, who always set his novels in Luino. These novels were partly written at a table of the historical Caffè Clerici, founded in 1875. Today a plate outside the café mentions the writer among its habitual customers.
 

5 reasons for

1. The Luino market. The picturesque, colourful and worldwide known Luino market is held every Wednesday and has been taking place uninterruptedly since 1541, when Charles V first licensed it. It involves the whole village with hundreds of stands. Here market goers can find a little bit of everything… garments, leather goods, haberdashery products, kitchenware and, of course, food, such as fresh cheeses, charcuterie and lake fish.

2. Formaggella del Luinese. A soft fat cheese, produced in the Varese mountain pastures
exclusively from goat’s milk. Matured only briefly, it is a recognised PDO product.

3. Pino Tronzano Beach. You will have the wind behind you in this lake beach, where visitors can practice kiting and windsurfing from the morning to the early hours of the afternoon, and take advantage of the Inverna wind that blows from the south. If all you need is relaxation, you can opt for sunbathing in the lawns.

4. Monte Lema. Placed at the border between Italy and Switzerland, the summit of Mount Lema is a privileged viewpoint over the regional lakes (lago Maggiore & lago di Lugano) and the peaks of the Pennine and Lepontine Alps. It can be reached by an easy and well signposted trail (a 3-hour walk in total including return) to be taken from the Campiglio mountain refuge in Alpe Pradecolo (Dumenza).

5. Spiaggia di Colmegna. This pebble, rock and grass beach caters for the needs of everyone, including ‘shadow lovers’ to enjoy the shade of local tree species. Cannero and Luino are also visible from the beach.

On the same topic

The Lombardy Shore of Lake Maggiore — Exploring historic villages

Discovering the Lombardy shore of Lake Maggiore, a region characterised by hills, dense reeds, archaeological finds and enchanting villages for you to visit.
  • Lakes
The Lombardy Shore of Lake Maggiore — Exploring historic villages

Lakeside and centre of gargnano

Gargnano: one of the most beautiful historical centers of Lake Garda.
  • Lakes
Lakeside and centre of Gargnano

Explore Lake Idro and its surroundings

At an altitude of four hundred metres, Lake Idro is a place of peace, nature and history, and is the coolest and most secluded of the Lombard lakes
  • Lakes
Explore Lake Idro and its surroundings - in Lombardia

The Best Beaches on Lake Maggiore

Discover the Wonders of the Varese Province
  • Lakes
Lido erboso al tramonto con persone sedute su panchina e bimbi in bicicletta. Lago e montagne in secondo piano

Lakeside and centre of gravedona

Welcome to Gravedona, one of the most important historical-religious centers of Alto Lario.
  • Lakes
Lakeside and centre of Gravedona

Boat Trips at Lombard Lakes

Iseo, Garda, Como. Boat trips on the Lombardy lakes offer an alternative point of view. From the lakes to the villages that surround them.
  • Lakes
Boat trips at Lombard lakes, an original idea

Flying Over Lake Como

Bellagio and Varenna. The profiles of historic houses. Flying over Lake Como, departing from the historic Aero Club.
  • Lakes
@inLombardia - Lago di Como

5 Thing-to-do in Menaggio

Be enchanted by Menaggio, marvelous town on Lake Como
  • Lakes
cosa fare a menaggio lungolago

Lago di Lugano The Little World of the Past

A place of cultural interest indeed with the landscapes of Fogazzaro’s novels, the fossils of Monte San Giorgio, the fortifications of World War land the secret places of Ceresio
  • Lakes
Lago di Lugano Piccolo mondo antico

Como Photo Gallery

Ideas and ideas for your holiday on the lake.
  • Lakes
Como and its Lake from a to Z hits for an unforgettable vacation

5 thing-to-do in Como

Discover Como, its lake and what makes this place so special
  • Lakes
como cose da fare

Centre of colico

Discover what to see in Colico, the pearl of Lake Lecco.
  • Lakes
Centre of Colico

5 Thing-to-do in Domaso

An amazing place for your active holiday on Lake Como
  • Lakes
domaso cose fare

5 Thing-to-do in Colico

The perfect place for your outdoor holiday on Lake Como
  • Lakes
colico cose da fare

Lago di Iseo: the pleasant isle

Cars are not allowed on Monte Isola island, where visitors must walk or cycle as they explore the delightfully silent, narrow streets in its villages
  • Lakes
Lago di Iseo: l'amena Monte Isola

Lakes in Lombardy: 5 unmissable experiences

5 consigli per una giornata indimenticabile: da Gardone Riviera all’Isola Comacina, alle sponde perfette per chi ama la bici
  • Lakes
Laghi in Lombardia autunno

Angling

If you like fishing, in Lombardy you will be spoiled for choice on where to launch the hook.
  • Lakes
Angling

Weekend on Lake Garda

  • Lakes
Weekend sul Lago di Garda

Centomiglia, sailing challenge on the Garda

Centomiglia: the most important sailing event in Garda and known throughout Europe.
  • Lakes
Centomiglia, sailing challenge on the Garda

Lago di Garda: the shadow of D’Annunzio

From the Vittoriale degli Italiani to the fifteenth-century Cathedral in Salò, via the Valle delle Cartiere valley in Toscolano Maderno: all the spectacular sights around Gardone Riviera
  • Lakes
Lago di Garda, lungolago Zanardelli