Lake Maggiore – the Langensee between Italy and Switzerland
Lake Maggiore, also known as Langensee, is one of Europe’s most beautiful lakes!
Your vacation destination: Lake Maggiore / Langensee
Lake Maggiore, also known in German as Langensee, lies on the southern edge of the Alps between Italy and Switzerland: the western shore belongs to Piedmont, the eastern shore to Lombardy, and the northern part lies in the Swiss canton of Ticino. Its beauty and varied natural scenery make it especially attractive to holidaymakers from all over the world. Its islands, gardens, parks and nature reserves are just as fascinating as the typical Belle Époque towns around the lake. This is where we’re at home: Lakeview is on the western shore near Cannobio, just a few kilometres from the Swiss border.
Lake Maggiore at a glance
- Location: between Piedmont, Lombardy and Ticino (Switzerland)
- Share: around 80% Italy, 20% Switzerland
- Area: approx. 212 km², Italy’s second-largest lake after Lake Garda
- Length and width: just over 64 km long, up to 10 km wide
- Depth: up to approx. 370 m; the lakebed lies below sea level
- Lake level: around 193 m above sea level
- Inflow: mainly the Ticino, Maggia, Toce and Tresa; outflow: the Ticino at Sesto Calende
- Islands: 11, including the Borromean Islands and the Brissago Islands
- Water: freshwater, usually around 24°C in midsummer
Current information about Lake Maggiore
Formation and history of Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore, also known as Lake Maggiore or Langensee, is one of Italy’s most beautiful bodies of water. It has inspired great artists from Italy and abroad, and many even chose a place on Lake Maggiore as their final resting place (for example, the famous writer Erich Maria Remarque is buried in Ronco sopra Ascona, just a few kilometres from Ascona). It is one of the great lakes on the southern edge of the Alps, and its shape is largely due to how it was formed: glaciers during the Ice Ages carved the basin deep, and after the ice retreated it filled with water. Langensee features what is known as a cryptodepression, meaning its deepest points lie below sea level: with a lake level of around 193 m and a depth of about 370 m, the bottom lies just under 180 m below sea level. This is typical of lakes of glacial origin. They are usually narrow, elongated and have many cliffs along their shores. It is precisely this rugged structure that makes Langensee so beautiful, and its long, narrow shape is also the reason for its German name.
Lake Maggiore lies between Lombardy, Piedmont and Switzerland and is one of Italy’s most historic lakes, with a series of impressive landscapes that also include the islands of Lake Maggiore, considered little pearls of art.
Location, size and depth of Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore is a lake with endless charms, deep-blue water and an alpine landscape whose mountains are often still snow-capped in spring. All these features make it a lake that stands out from many others around the world.
The lake was formed after the last Ice Age and belongs to two countries, with around 80% in Italy and 20% in Switzerland. After Lake Garda, it is Italy’s second-largest lake.
It lies on the border between Italy and Switzerland, between the Alps and the Po Valley. Lake Maggiore has an area of 212 square kilometres, a length of 64.4 kilometres and a maximum width of 10 kilometres; at its deepest point it is about 370 metres deep. It is fed mainly by the Ticino, which comes from southern Switzerland and leaves the lake again at Sesto Calende, as well as by the Maggia, the Toce and the Tresa.
The lake was the preferred residence of Lombard noble families such as the Borromeo, who built beautiful palaces and grand villas on its shores and on its islands. We present the most beautiful places around the lake on our page Towns on Lake Maggiore.
Lake Maggiore climate
Lake Maggiore enjoys a mild climate: the Alps to the north keep out cold air, and the large lake stores heat. That’s why palms, camellias and citrus trees thrive here. The best time for swimming and excursions is from June to September.
In Locarno, average daytime highs in July are around 28°C, and in January about 7°C (MeteoSwiss, 1991–2020 average). In midsummer, Lake Maggiore’s water temperature is usually around 24°C, reaching up to 27°C in hot summers, and dropping to 5 to 8°C in winter. With just over 2,200 hours of sunshine a year, the area is among the sunniest in Switzerland; at the same time, it also gets a lot of rain—around 1,850 mm per year—especially in spring and autumn, usually as heavy showers or thunderstorms. Winter, by contrast, is the driest season, and snow rarely falls right by the lake.
Regular winds are typical of Lake Maggiore: in the morning, the Tramontana often blows from the north; in the afternoon, the Inverna from the south. Ideal conditions for sailors and surfers. You can find current readings on our pages about the weather in Cannobio and the water temperature.
Botanical gardens, parks and nature reserves
Nature lovers on Lake Maggiore have the opportunity to visit several botanical gardens, parks and protected areas. Particularly noteworthy:
Villa Taranto, a botanical garden of around 16 hectares with about 20,000 plants in Pallanza in the municipality of Verbania, on the western shore of Lake Maggiore. It features azaleas, dogwoods (Cornus), the giant water lily Victoria amazonica, dahlias, a herbarium, and the mausoleum of its founder Neil McEacharn.
Alpinia, a 40,000-square-metre alpine garden above Stresa, founded in 1934 by Igino Ambrosini and Giuseppe Rossi; it is home to around 1,000 species native to the Alps and some others from regions such as China, Japan and the Caucasus, including Artemisia, Centaurea, Geranium, Campanula and Dianthus.
Val Grande National Park includes, among other areas, Val Grande and Val Pogallo, whose streams flow into the San Bernardino, which enters the lake near Verbania. It is considered Italy’s largest wilderness area and is a destination for experienced hikers.
Valle del Ticino Nature Park lies south of the lake along the Ticino and is part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve. It was founded in 1974 as Italy’s first regional park, is located in Lombardy, and covers an area of around 91,000 hectares.
The nature this lake offers, with its parks and nature reserves, is unique and brings many guests back to Lake Maggiore time and again.
Castles and sacral buildings
The many churches and monasteries are of great cultural value and also often offer excellent viewpoints over the landscape and Lake Maggiore.
A visit to the Sacro Monte di Ghiffa above Ghiffa (between Cannobio and Verbania) is highly recommended; together with the other Sacri Monti in Piedmont and Lombardy, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Madonna del Sasso monastery, a cultural landmark from the 15th century, is also well worth a visit. It lies above Locarno and can be reached from the city centre via an impressive funicular railway. From the monastery, a Way of the Cross leads back down into the centre of Locarno. The Church of San Martino in Ispra is something very special: San Martino is not one church but two, as the complex consists of two church buildings built in opposite directions and dating from two different centuries. From Lake Maggiore, you can only see the older section, decorated with precious frescoes.
In the municipality of Leggiuno, on the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, lies the monastery of Santa Caterina del Sasso. Seen from the lake, one gets the impression that Santa Caterina del Sasso is part of the massive rock face with which the monastery is intertwined. Visiting the church and monastery complex is a worthwhile trip with a magnificent view. In the town of Arona there is one of the largest statues in the world, the Colossus of San Carlo Borromeo, which is about 35 metres high and should not be missed.
Islands in Lake Maggiore
The 11 islands of Lake Maggiore attract many visitors thanks to their natural beauty. The Borromean Islands in particular are well worth a visit. Isola Bella is a beautiful place dominated by a magnificent Baroque palace. Flanked by a lush, terraced Italian garden, the palace is home to priceless works of art.
Isola Madre, located in the centre of the Borromean Gulf, is the largest of the Borromean Islands. Here you’ll find a charming botanical garden—one of the oldest in Italy—full of exotic flowers and rare plants that give the island the charm of a tropical land.
Isola dei Pescatori is a picturesque village where a few fishermen still live today—hence the island’s name (Fishermen’s Island). The island’s restaurants are known for their fresh fish dishes.
Isolino di San Giovanni also belongs to the Borromean Islands archipelago. Unlike the other islands, which all lie in the Borromean Gulf opposite Stresa, San Giovanni is just a few metres off the shore of Verbania-Pallanza. It is the most inconspicuous of the four islands and is privately owned by the Borromeo family, which is why it cannot be visited and is unknown to many tourists.
Very close to us are also the Brissago Islands with their botanical garden on the Swiss side, and the small rocky islets of the Castelli di Cannero between Cannobio and Cannero.
Tourists should not miss the chance to visit at least one of the Borromean Islands. They are among the most beautiful places in Europe, their gardens are breathtaking, and touring the palaces that once served as the residence of the Borromeo noble family rounds off a holiday on Lake Maggiore.
Our Lakeview is located on the western shore of the lake, in Cannobio, just before the Swiss border. Here, you can stay in a mobile home on Lake Maggiore, in a holiday apartment with a lake view, or on a pitch for campers and tents. With a lake view from your own private veranda, you will stay in our mobile home on Lago Maggiore.
Questions and answers
On the southern edge of the Alps between Italy and Switzerland. The western shore belongs to Piedmont, the eastern shore to Lombardy, and the northern part with Locarno and Ascona belongs to the Swiss canton of Ticino.