Ispra is a town on the lake, located on the eastern shore of the Lake Maggiore,  halfway between Sesto Calende and Laveno, the main town of the municipiality is located at the foot of two rocky reliefs:  the Monte dei Preti and the adjacent Monte dei Nassi.
Ispra's main tourist attraction  is the long lakewalk. Small harbours, berthing points for barges that served the old lime kilns, piers and docks, including private ones, can be found all along the  cost. The main berthing point is the equipped harbour area, where there is also the Navigazione Lago Maggiore docking point for boats and hydrofoils. The lakewalk is mainly walkable, in particular there is a path (Passeggiata dell’amore) with awesome landscapes that starts from the harbour and continues northwards, overlooking the lake. In the centre of the village, the garden of Villa Castelli, which today houses the Town Hall, and the garden surrounding the old mausoleum are freely accessible. The Joint Research Centre (JRC), one of the European Union's seven research institutes, is based in the municipality.