Maggiore Lake

The glimpses of the mountains in the distance create a fairy-tale effect. Each of the villages that follow one another in quick succession has its own character. Lake Maggiore offers a wide choice of places to visit: Arona, the more commercial one; Stresa, a destination for an exclusive kind of tourism; Baveno, once a spa town and today an idyllic holiday spot; Verbania, a tourist hub and the political and administrative center; and Cannero Riviera and Cannobio, the places foreign visitors love most.

There are many islands, large, small and tiny, the best known of which belong to the Borromean Islands archipelago: Isola Madre, Isola Bella and Isola dei Pescatori. All these places, in their simplicity, stay with you for their plain, straightforward character, which also marks the local people, reserved and shy but welcoming.

A lake of fluvioglacial origin, Lake Maggiore is surrounded by the Prealps, which frame it and create a wonderful harmony of colors and shades reflected in its waters. Known since ancient times, it was called lacus maximus by the Romans because it was larger than the nearby lakes.

Long believed to be the largest lake, it is in fact Italy's second by area (after Lake Garda) and by depth (after Lake Como). It is 66 km long and stretches from Piedmont and Lombardy to Switzerland, from the plain to the ring of Alpine peaks of the Ossola. The Ticino and Toce rivers feed the lake, which lies 193 m above sea level.

The northern part of the lake, where Ascona and Locarno are, belongs to Switzerland, while the Italian part is divided among the provinces of Varese, Verbania and Novara. The two shores, western and eastern, are very different. The western, Piedmontese shore has for centuries been known for refined and elegant tourism, while the eastern, Lombard shore is less developed for tourism.

Around the middle of the 15th century the lake was granted as a fief to the Borromeo family, Milanese nobles who chose it for their summer retreats, starting a tradition that continues to this day.

The lake has long been a source of inspiration for writers, painters and artists, musicians and authors from all over Europe, above all the French Stendhal and Flaubert. In the 19th century, in particular, high society from beyond the Alps chose the shores of this enchanting lake for summer holidays or as a stop on the Grand Tour, the journey that young aristocrats made to see the world.

From the end of the 19th century, Lake Maggiore, a direct route to Switzerland, also became a place of political and economic importance; the opening of Napoleon's Simplon road and of the international railway shaped this strategic role.

The mountains around the lake also mattered for the building materials quarried from them. There were many quarries: the one at Angera, whose stone was widely used in classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, and the limestone quarries of Caldè, which supplied the raw material for lime; the pink granite of Baveno was also much used in the past.

The siliceous rocks and the makeup of the soil encourage lush, thriving vegetation. Yews, hollies and chestnuts grow wild on the hills. Lemon trees, olives and bay laurel scent the air, while everywhere you look there are rhododendrons and magnolias, azaleas and camellias, exotic imported plants that were placed alongside roses, citrus and jasmine to adorn the lakeshore.

Swept by steady winds that blow in the morning and evening, Lake Maggiore is ideal for sports such as sailing and windsurfing.

The lake is also an important stopover for migrating birds and a nesting site for several species of waterbirds. Its waters are home to many fish, such as perch, pike, chub, eel and bleak, which also turn up in the area's traditional dishes.

The nearby valleys produce extraordinary cured meats, such as pancetta and bresaola, mortadella ossolana, prosciutto and the goat “violino” of the Val Vigezzo, or the renowned herb-cured lardo of Macugnaga.

The milk of cows grazing on the alpine pastures is made into cheeses of ancient tradition: Toma del Mottarone, the fresh goat cheeses of the Valcuvia, Formaggella di Luino and small goat cheeses, as well as the irresistible Gorgonzola PDO, claimed by both Novara and Varese. Above all stands Bettelmatt, made only on the alpine pastures of the towns of Baceno, Premia and Formazza.

The perfect partner for cured meats and cheeses is honey, which comes in seven varieties around Lake Maggiore. Seven different honeys of fine quality: chestnut, acacia, linden, rhododendron, honeydew, wildflower and mountain wildflower.

Local wines are not lacking either: full-bodied wines such as Ghemme DOCG and the Nebbiolo of the Novara hills, Prunent, Nouv Bruschett and Cà d'Matè from the Ossola valleys. On the shores of the lake, meanwhile, the “Ronchi Varesini” are made, the white, red and rosé wines of Angera.

To end the meal, the area offers fine spirits, such as Amaro Mottarone, and traditional grappas, such as that of Angera, famous since 1847 for the “Rossi d'Angera” grappa. In the Ossola valleys, “Fil da Fer” and white or green “Genepy” are local specialties.

The pastries, too, hold delights not to be missed: the Margheritine of Stresa, cookies created in honor of Queen Margherita of Savoy; the Intresine of Verbania, butter cookies dusted with almonds and hazelnuts; the Amaretti of Gallarate; the Brutti e Buoni of Gavirate; and the traditional, very light Biscotti of Novara.