Travel Guide: Lago Maggiore, ITALY

Italy is known for its food, fashion, cars and tourism. It is one of the most touristy countries in the whole world. It had 64.5 M visitors in 2019, before COVID-19 (Statista, 2022).

By Sadia Arshad

Taken by meee :)

Lago Maggiore means greater lake, but it is not Italy's biggest lake. The country's largest lake is Garda (Gonzalez, 2022), with Maggiore in second position and Como coming third. Lake Como is another popular place in Italy because of its breathtaking views. Back to our topic, lake Maggiore is also known as lake Verbano, located in the south of the Alps. The lake and its shoreline are divided between Italy and Switzerland, with most of it being in Italy. Still, it is the largest lake in southern Switzerland. Lake Maggiore extends about 65 kilometres between Locarno (Switzerland) and Arona (Italy).

Microsoft Bing

However, we would look at the lake from Arona, Italy's side.

The lake is about 2 hours of drive away from Milan. It divides two regions of Italy, Piemonte (Piedmont) and Lombardia (Lombardy). Milan is part of Lombardia, whereas Arona is located in Piemonte. A beautiful river (Ticino) leaves this lake to carry on as the border between the two regions.

Coming back to the lake and Arona, there isn't a best or worse time to visit the place. It can get crowded in summer and winter is not everyone's favourite. I prefer to go in summer as you get a lovely breeze during the evening.

You can get a hotel/place to stay for as little as £34 per night for a holiday rental and £47 per night for a 3-star hotel. You would be able to able visit the main three places in one day, making that amount worth spending.

To begin with, you can then take a boat across the lake to see the Fortress of Borromeo (commonly known as the Rock of Angera). It is a castle on a lakeside hilltop and it is visible from the shore of Arona, where originally stood another castle formerly owned by the Borromeo family.

Opening hours: MonClosed Tue - Wed12:00 - 18:00 Thu - Fri12:00 - 16:30 Sat - Sun10:00 - 16:30

(Google maps) (Meeee)

Then you can take a break at a local restaurant before leaving Arona to see the statue of San Carlone. Here are some of my favourite places to dine in:

• L' Osteria d' Asti - Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options. Price range: £9 - £27

• Castagneto - Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options. Price range: £13 - £44

• Ton Lu Ren Asian Restaurant - Asian, Chinese, Seafood, Vegetarian Friendly.

• Aldo Pizzeria - Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options

(Google maps)

The statue of San Carlone is a massive copper statue, built between 1614 and 1698, near Arona. It represents Charles Borromeo, a Catholic saint and former archbishop of Milan. "The statue of St. Charles Borromeo is the first known example of a statue of copper, worked with the hammer inside and outside, and freely supported on iron beams" (Microsoft Bing).

Opening hours: Mon - WedClosed Thu - Fri9:00 - 12:20 Sat - Sun9:00 - 18:15

To end the day, I would recommend a walk by the lakeside in the evening. More specifically, a walk by the Ruota Panoramica (Ferris wheel). Apart from a relaxed walk to end the day, you can also enjoy a drink, ice cream or a snack from the shops, and bars near.

(Taken by me!)

During the walk, you would see some monuments, many boats, beautiful scenery and lovely flowers as a cherry on top. (As seen in the images below).

Refrences (Havard):

Gonzalez, N. (2022) The 9 biggest lakes in Italy, AZ Animals. Available at: https://a-z-animals.com/blog/the-biggest-lakes-in-italy/ (Accessed: February 21, 2023).

Statista Research Department and 5, O. (2022) International Tourist Arrivals in Italy 2021, Statista. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/587095/number-of-international-tourist-arrivals-in-italy/ (Accessed: February 21, 2023).