Italy > Piedmont

Posted on 16/05/2009

Tourism on Lake Maggiore passes through three stages. The phase of the discovery by the wealthy families of Piedmont and Lombardy, between the sixteenth and the eighteenth century, around the lake built magnificent palaces. The second phase in Belle époque in which his fame was international and on its banks began to create beautiful villas, gardens and hotels. The third stage sees the explosion of mass tourism, is the Sunday that the holiday for all seasons (even though logically the mistress ago from the warm season).

Lake Maggiore is one of the largest lakes in Italy. Bagna North Canton Ticino in Switzerland and Italy, Piedmont and Lombardy. E 'of glacial origin and is collected in the Pre-Alps, surrounded by a breathtaking natural landscape setting, ranging from rolling hills in the area of Novara, the highest peaks of Verbano, some with perennial snow. Surely excursions leaving to enjoy more of the wonderful scenery of the lake are made directly on the boat of water, because away from the coast you can see an alternation of varied landscapes, the Mediterranean vegetation in the forests of hardwood and conifers. A few meters from the lake we find the imposing peaks of the Alpine and Monte Rosa.
After admiring the scenery from the lake are worth descend to the ground and advancing on trails and paths to discover the natural valleys that open on it, including the Valley Antrona characterized by the presence of beautiful alpine lakes and to discover the places and hilly that over a mountain panoramic views, tell with their local folklore ancient customs and traditions.

Be noted that around the lake are many natural parks that you can visit the Parco Nazionale della Val Grande, the natural park of Alpe Veglia and Devero, the Parco Naturale Valle del Ticino, the Natural Park of Lagoni of Mercurago, Parco Regionale Campo dei Fiori, the Parco della Rocca di Arona Borromea, Mottarone Park and the Parco del Ticino.

Returning on Lake Maggiore is crowded with islands of different sizes for a total of 11 islands. The Borromean Islands archipelago between Stresa and Verbania including Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola fishermen. Faced with the Swiss are the Brissago Islands two homonyms.
Riviera Cannero before you found the three rocks called Castelli di Cannero under and around the fortress wanted by Count Ludovico Borromeo and the ruins of the "prisons".
There are also Isolino of St. John in front of Verbania (known for hosting for many years, the famous composer Arturo Toscanini, in the seventeenth century Palazzo Borromeo), the island also said Malghera The Island of the Dolls and Isolino Partegora in the small Gulf of Angera.

Set between the valleys and peaks of the testimony of the historical and artistic presence.
Villas, gardens and nurseries retain and show fantastic botanical and architectural heritage, where you can enjoy year around, varieties of azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons and trees. Churches and shrines scattered everywhere, in the midst of the valleys, perched on top, built on the rock directly demonstrate the age-old mixture of nature and mysticism. Museums And again to be enjoyed, as the Museum of Landscape in Pallanza, which testifies to the love of landscape and nature in these places was very generous. The museum dell'Ombrello to Gignese, where you can admire old romantic parasols, belle époque of the domes, umbrella's, until you get to the umbrella of our days. In addition, the museum of the chimney sweep, a Malesco that offers an interesting insight on a long tradition that led around the whole Europe, the people of these places. And the real museum of uniforms of the Italian island of San Giulio with letters, dispatches and edicts from the Risorgimento to the world wars. Testimony of a more recent is the art museum and Industry Forum "to Omegna, a witness to the industrial production cusiana.

Also other sites to see are also rich in art, history and culture are the castles including Malpaga, or castles and even the Cannero Borromeo Palace on Isola Bella, where there is an incredible collection of delicate baroque.

But the Lake Maggiore is not just combination between landscape, art, history and culture, but also between nature and sport. There are many sports to be practiced in winter as in summer. In winter you can enjoy alpine skiing to snowboarding together in popular tourist areas already since the beginning of the century, including the area of Macugnaga, clinging to the Monte Rosa, cross-country skiing is very practiced at Riale, High Valley Formazza also are many routes for people who love skiing and mountaineering shoes.

But tourism on Lake Maggiore explodes it in spring with the arrival of fine weather, becoming mass tourism, from Italy and Europe. As it is surrounded by mountains, the lake is characterized by a temperate climate, milder in winter and cooled by breezes in the summer, the climate that not only allowed to take hold of tropical plants and flowers, but also by the opportunity to practice sports tied, so to speak to the wind, both in water and in the air. There are many sites that allow you to fly to get up paragliding and hang gliding and for those who love water sports can be practiced from canoeing, sailing, passing through the wind surfing and surfing until Kaito canoe.

For those who decide to spend the Lago Maggiore your vacation or just a weekend can choose accommodation of every type and every budget, from hotels to the most breathtaking historic affordable bed and breakfast, holiday houses to campsites.