The Lake Maggiore City Guides deal with the questions every visitor here runs into: which of the Borromean Islands is worth the entry fee, where to eat real lake fish rather than imported perch, which pebble beach suits small children and how to get round the lake by boat and train without paying tout prices. Each guide is a short, honest list that tells you why a place is worth the trip, what to order or see and one tip that saves you time, and it opens in your browser the moment you have paid.
About the Lake Maggiore City Guides
- 108 places
- 5 guides
- 7 languages
- Works offline
- Print or PDF
- Instant access
- Free updates
The five Lake Maggiore guides
Food guide
24 places
Lake fish on the islands, family osterie from Arona to Cannobio, a Michelin-starred table on Lake Mergozzo, and pastry, gelato and markets.
Things to do guide
18 places
The Borromean Islands and Villa Taranto, a hermitage on a cliff, castles, the cable car up Mottarone and the prettiest lake towns.
Family guide
25 places
Peacocks and gardens, gentle pebble beaches, bucket lifts and an alpine coaster, a statue to climb inside and pizza stops.
Day trips guide
20 places
The east shore by ferry, Locarno, Ascona and the Swiss valleys, Lake Orta, the Centovalli railway, and Milan by train.
Budget guide
21 places
Free promenades, churches, gorges and beaches, public ferries and regional trains, and bakery lunches for under €10.
Why an interactive guide beats a list
Tick places off
Mark each place as done and watch your progress, so you always know what is left.
Your own notes
Write notes on any place and add your own finds. They stay on your phone.
One tap to Maps
Every place opens in Google Maps, and the day route puts your picks in a sensible order.
Open now, near me
Filter by what is open right now or what is closest to you.
Works offline
Open the guide once with a connection and it keeps working without data.
Print it or save as PDF
On a computer, print any guide or save it as a PDF to take with you.
Three places from the guides
Il Vicoletto
Stresa, Vicolo del Poncivo
Step off the lakefront into a back lane and the cooking gets serious: beef tartare the Piedmontese way, risotto made for two and pasta that follows the season, at prices that undercut the terraces. From the food guide.
Colosso di San Carlo Borromeo
Arona, 2 km uphill from the station
A 17th-century copper saint you can climb into, first by stairs and then by steep ladders, until you are looking out over the lake through his head. Skip it if tight spaces bother you. From the things to do guide.
Spiaggia di Suna
Verbania Suna, Via Troubetzkoy
Low walls divide the water into a shallow pool for toddlers, a zone for beginners and open lake beyond, and the little jetty is where young children make their first jumps. Acacias shade the grass. From the family guide.
Plan your days on Lake Maggiore
Day one: take the public ferry from Stresa to the Borromean Islands, wander the lanes of Isola dei Pescatori, then cross to Pallanza for the gardens of Villa Taranto and dinner at an osteria in Intra. Day two: go by boat to the hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso, on to the castle at Angera, and end in Arona inside the copper statue of San Carlo. For a slow or rainy day, ride the cable car to Mottarone when the cloud lifts, visit the umbrella museum in Gignese and book a long Piedmontese lunch in the hills above Stresa.
Questions about the Lake Maggiore guides
What do the Lake Maggiore City Guides include?
Five guides covering 108 places: food, things to do, family, lakes and day trips, and budget. Each entry explains why it is worth going, where it is, opening notes and one tip you can use.
How do I receive the guides once I have paid?
The links show up on your order confirmation page and in the email that follows. They open in the browser of any phone, tablet or laptop, with no app to install and no account to create.
Can I use the Lake Maggiore guides without internet?
Yes. Load each guide once while connected and it will work offline from then on, ticks and notes included. Opening a place in maps needs mobile data.
Which languages are the Lake Maggiore guides available in?
The guides open in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Polish. You can switch the language inside the guide at any time.
How much do the guides cost?
One guide is €4.99, two are €8.99, four are €15.99 and the full set of five is €19.99.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.