Lago Maggiore

A glittering jewel in the south of Switzerland and north of Italy: Lake Maggiore seduces with its breathtaking scenery and charming little towns. The beautiful panorama of the lake invites you to take leisurely walks along the lake. For the more active, the lake offers endless opportunities for water fun. And the famous Borromean Islands, with their magnificent villas and lush gardens, are a highlight not to be missed.

03/09/2024

dear(travel)diary,

already as a small child, I imagined my dream wedding. At some point, I saw a blog post about various wedding locations. One in particular caught my eye. And where was it? Right, on Lago Maggiore. So I really wanted to go there to see the Sacro Monte di Ghiffa.

In 2020, my mother and I stopped at Lago Maggiore for a night on our way back from our vacation in Italy and even took a trip to the sacred mountain. The view of the lake and the surrounding mountains from there is truly beautiful. A dream setting for a wedding. I just found the church a little dark and small. So perhaps we need to find another wedding location after all. But I was surprised by the beauty of Lago Maggiore.

Unfortunately, one day was far too short to discover Lago Maggiore. So I stopped by the beautiful lake again - this time before our trip through Italy. I was not disappointed again. On the contrary! The stay was even better than I had expected!

xx Chiara

P.S. Lago Maggiore is located in the Swiss canton of Ticino and in the Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy. However, as we had our hotel in the Swiss part, I allocated this blog post to Switzerland. However, some of the places mentioned here are in Italy.

Overview:

WHAT to SEE & DO

Exploring the Borromean Islands
Climb the Sacro Monte di Ghiffa
Stroll along the lakeside promenade
Experience relaxation or water fun on the lake
Wander around the villages along the lake

Explore more!

Where to eat

Admittedly, I didn't try out that many culinary delights on Lago Maggiore. Because during my stays I already had breakfast included in the hotels and we mostly had a snack for lunch.

During our stay at the Sunstar Hotel Brissago, we always stayed at the hotel for dinner. But with good reason: the food at Caesar's Restaurant & Lounge was incredibly good. I can therefore recommend the hotel restaurant to you even if you are not a hotel guest. Believe me, you'll get your money's worth here!

We also had a delicious meal at La Latteria in Intra. I had the gnocci wrapped in cheese there. To be honest, I'm still dreaming about them now because they were so good! The restaurant is thus a must when you're on Lago Maggiore!

Where to sleep

On my first stay at Lago Maggiore, we stayed at the Hotel Casa Camilla (Italian part). The hotel had a lot of charm, it was clean and we could walk to Intra. A good standard for a stay.

On my second visit to Lago Maggiore, we stayed at the Sunstar Hotel Brissago (Swiss part). We liked it there so much that we even extended our stay! The staff were extremely friendly, the rooms were spacious and stylishly furnished and the food was delicious. The hotel itself also offers lots of activities: SUP and canoeing on the lake, a boat tour, a spa area, a sun jetty right on the lake, an outdoor and indoor pool, wine tastings and so much more. We didn't have to make much of an effort to do anything as we were already well catered for by the hotel. For me, the stay was therefore more than just “something to stay overnight”. Rather, it was an experience in itself. If you don't want to miss out on staying at the Sunstar Hotel Brissago, I have a discount code for you: simply enter the code “Sunstar10” when booking.

I have put together a list of all the places on Google Maps.

You can find the list here.

From the community for the community

Tips from the community

"Take the Centovalli Railway from Locarno. Or make a detour to the Verzasca Valley."

kirsche684

Do you have a tip for Lake Maggiore? Or a suggestion for the blog? Or would you like more information?

Then write me!