Lake Maggiore

Much has been said and written about Lake Maggiore; even Stendhal, struck by the lyricism that only reveals in front of Nature’s miracles, asserted he had found the place from which he would never separate.

ALTITUDE

193 m

AREA

212 sq. km

LENGTH

64,37 km

MAXIMUM DEPTH

370 m

With its almost 65 km length and its characteristic “curly-bracket” form, it washes the shores of Region Piedmont, Region Lombardy and of Switzerland.

Our itinerary begins from Laveno-Mombello, one of the major ports on Lake Maggiore. The town is visitable in total relaxation, taking a walk on the lakeside and in the small streets of the historic centre. A cable car leads up to Sasso del Ferro, a panoramic point from which visitors can enjoy a magnificent view of the town, of the lake and of the Prealps. From here we leave for Arcumeggia – hamlet of the Municipality of Casalzuigno (2) -, one of the most popular "painted villages", where the external walls of the houses are painted with works of famous artists;

also charming are the frescoes along the stations of the Via Crucis on the churchyard of S. Ambrogio. From Arcumeggia we continue towards Monte della Colonna, which reaches 1200 m height. Along our way up, we come across an enchanting landscape rich in watercourses, springs and waterfalls, with spectacular flora. Various are the paths that may be followed on foot or by mountain bike: as a final reward for our efforts we will enjoy a breathtaking view on the top of the mountain. Another interesting excursion may be Monte Pian Nave, characterized by two peaks (both around 1000 m high) connected by a green grassland.

The presence of a section of the so-said Northern Frontier (Linea Cadorna) is to be underlined: it is a massive defensive system dating back to the end of the Nineteenth century, built in prevention of an attack coming from the Country’s Northern borders. Here as well, from the peak we admire a beautiful view of the lake and the surrounding mountains. We may now begin our descent to the shore, where Castelveccana (3) and Porto Valtravaglia (4) represent two ideal and relaxing breaks on the lakeside.