Lago Maggiore: What a Beautiful Place!

Lake Maggiore is the second largest lake in Italy (Lake Garda is the largest) and is not as famous as Lake Garda or Lake Como. That is a great shame, as Lake Maggiore is a fantastic destination with its combination of culture, history and nature. Lago Maggiore offers something for everyone. The lake is fairly big and stretches a total of 65 kilometres, 20% of which is in Switzerland.

I have written about our vacation in September 2024 at Lake Maggiore and some suggestions to what you can do for 5 days if you travel to this exciting destination.

To get to Lake Maggiore you can either fly to Milan and then rent a car and drive to Lake Maggiore. The lake is a good hour’s drive from Milan. Or you can choose a bus tour with a travel agency.

Day 1:

The drive to Lake Maggiore, whether with a travel agency or by car, is a nice introduction to the area with its breathtaking views of the mountains and the lake.

We stayed in Verbania/Intra, which is a nice town with small, intimate streets filled with shops, cafes and restaurants. There is therefore ample opportunity to eat or enjoy a cup of coffee at a restaurant. Do spend the day exploring the town and the area you are staying in.

Picture from Verbania/Intra, which is a really nice town

Day 2:

Stresa and Isola Bella: Stresa is a popular town by Lake Maggiore with elegant hotels and villas. Many of which have a fantastic view over the lake. After arriving in Stresa, you should take a walk along the impressive promenade and maybe enjoy an aperitivo at a café.

Isola Bella is one of three islands (Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori) which are a short boat ride from Stresa. We chose Isola Bella famous for its magnificent palace and its baroque gardens, created by the aristocratic Borromeo family in the 17th century. The palace is filled with fine art and antiques, while the magnificent gardens offer all kinds of exotic flowers, shrubs and trees and, of course, white peacocks. You can also wallow in the fantastic views of the lake as you walk around and enjoy the gardens.

The impressive palace located on Isola Bella.

The music room

The palace seen from outside the garden. Quite nice.

View of Lago Maggiore from the Palace on Isola Bella.

One of the many white peacocks roaming freely in the garden.

Day 3:

Orta San Giulio: While Lake Maggiore is stunning, it’s also worth taking a day trip to Lago d’Orta which is a smaller and more intimate lake. When you reach the town of Orta San Giulio, park your car and walk down into the picturesque town, known for its narrow, cobbled streets.

In Orta San Giulio’s central square, Piazza Motta, surrounded by picturesque houses – some with archways – you can have lunch at one of the many restaurants. From the town square, don’t miss a short boat trip to the island of Isola San Giulio, where you can visit the historic monastery and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. It’s like arriving in a world where time has stood still.

Right at the landing stage, you’ll see the first sign telling you that you’ve arrived at the “Island of Silence”. The only path that you can walk around the island is also called the “Path of Silence”. It takes less than 10 minutes to walk around the entire island on the cobblestones of the narrow path and study the signs along the way. They have all themes about silence – for example listen to the silence. In addition to the old houses and a “damp city wall”, the island of San Guilio is dominated by a large monastery, which is not accessible.

Once you have seen Orta San Giulio and visited the island of Isola San Giulio, it is simply a must that you walk the steep path up to the Sacred Mountain of Orta (Sacro Monte di Orta), which you’ll climb from the town square. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a fantastic place to visit and to immerse yourself in the 20 chapels that line the route. They are decorated with frescoes and life-size statues that tell the story of the life of the saint St. Francis of Assisi. Don’t forget also to enjoy the panoramic views over the lake.

The island of Isola San Giulio located in Orta San Giulio.

Isola San Giulio is also called the island of silence, which is indicated by the many signs.

The path of silence.

Sacred Mountain of Orta (Sacro Monte di Orta) or the Holy Mountain with the many chapels, where the frescoes almost all show episodes from the life of Francis of Assisi.

The birth of Jesus, but without Francis of Assisi.

Day 4:

Milan is Italy’s business and fashion capital with modern buildings and skyscrapers. As mentioned, Milan is not far from Verbania/Isla, and if you haven’t visited the city before, you should definitely do so. The biggest attraction is the pompous and magnificent Cathedral (Duomo di Milano), which is located in the middle of the city. There may be a queue to get in, but it is relatively quick to get there, so don’t miss out on the experience.

Once you have entered the cathedral, move around and be impressed by the beautiful and imposing interior, which truly contains many magnificent artifacts. This impressive cathedral is the second largest in Italy, after St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, and towers over the magnificent Piazza del Duomo.

Built in a mixture of Renaissance, Baroque and Gothic architectural styles, the Duomo was built between the late 14th century and the 19th century. The Duomo di Milano took 600 years to build and was completed in 1965.

When you’re done admiring and soaking up the many impressions inside the cathedral, take a walk around it when you come out again. It’s incomparable.

After visiting the cathedral head across Piazza del Duomo to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II on the other side of the cathedral. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is Italy’s oldest shopping arcade. Here you’ll be greeted by golden facades with impressive columns and soaring arches.

This stunning arcade is impressive with its glass dome ceiling and mosaic floors. As you stroll through the 4-story high shopping gallery Galleria Vittorio Emanuele I, you’ll find exclusive and high end designer boutiques, restaurants, cafes and plenty of people taking selfies. The gallery is a great place to window shop or just to enjoy a drink.

At the end of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II you will come to Piazza della Scala with a large statue of Leonardo da Vinci, and to the left of it is the world-famous opera house La Scala in a rather anonymous and inconspicuous building. La Scala has staged most of the great opera stars in the world. And if you didn’t know any better, you could easily walk past the building without noticing it.

If you return to the pedestrian street where the Cathedral is located, and you want to shop, continue down the pedestrian street. On this walk, you will be quite overwhelmed by the number of luxury shops.

Castello Sforzesco is the last stop of the day. Castello Sforzesco, or Sforza Castle, was built as a defensive citadel in the 14th century. Later, in the 15th century, Francesco Sforza expanded the citadel and transformed it into a family residence. Today, the building is used to house several museums, including the Museo Pieta Rondanini, the Museum of Ancient Art, the Museum of Decorative Arts, the Archaeological Museum and many more. You can easily spend a whole day here exploring all the museums. The Sforza Castle has a collection of artworks created by some of the most famous artists in the world, including Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

The pompous and magnificent Cathedral of Milan (Duomo di Milano).

The cathedral seen from the inside – just a section – it’s big.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is Italy’s oldest shopping arcade.

The arcade is filled with luxury shops.

The world-famous opera house La Scala in a rather anonymous and unremarkable building.

Castello Sforzesco, or Sforza Castle, was originally built as a defensive citadel in the 14th century. Later, the citadel was converted into a family residence and is now home to several museums.

Day 5:

If you need a day where the program does not necessarily have to be a full-day excursion, I can highly recommend visiting the gardens of Villa Taranto, located in Verbania/Intra.

The gardens of Villa Taranto are known worldwide for their great beauty and the enormous number of species of plants that the gardens contain. This extraordinary place was conceived by Scottish captain Neil McEacharn, who bought the villa in 1931 with the specific intention of creating the gardens of his dreams on the shores of his beloved Lago Maggiore. He named the property after a family ancestor who had been made “Duke of Taranto” by Napoleon. In 1939, Captain McEacharn, who had no heirs, decided to donate the entire property to the Italian state in exchange for permission to be buried in the mausoleum, which now stands in the middle of the park.

You must pay an entrance fee to visit the gardens.