LAKE MAGGIORE


'Lake Maggiore' (in Italian: ''Lago Maggiore'' or ''lago Verbano'') is the most westerly of the three large prealpine lakes of Italy and the second largest after Lake Garda. It lies approximately at .
Santa Caterina del Sasso

It has a surface area of about 213 km², a maximum length of 54 km and, at its widest, is 12 km. The lake basin has tectonic-glacial origins and its volume is 37 km³.
Its main tributaries are the Ticino, the Maggia, the Toce (by which it receives the outflow of Lake Orta) and the Tresa (which is the sole emissary of Lake Lugano). The rivers Verzasca, Giona, and Cannobino also flow into the lake. Its outlet is the Ticino which, in turn, joins the river Po just south-east of Pavia.
The lake’s jagged banks are surrounded by the Prealps of Piedmont and Lombardy. The western bank is in Piedmont (provinces of Novara and Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola) and the eastern in Lombardy (province of Varese), whereas the most northerly section extends thirteen kilometres into Switzerland, where it constitutes the lowest point above sea-level in that entire country.
The climate is mild in both summer and winter, producing Mediterranean vegetation, with beautiful gardens growing rare and exotic plants. Well-known gardens include those of the Isola Madre, Isola Bella and the Isole di Brissago, that of the Villa Taranto in Verbania, and the Alpinia botanical garden above Stresa.



Contents
Towns and villages on the lake
Islands
Events
External links

Towns and villages on the lake


Switzerland Piedmont Lombardy

Ranzo
Gerra
San Nazzaro
Vira
Magadino
Tenero
Locarno
Ascona
Ronco sopra Ascona
Brissago
Minusio

Cannobio
Cannero Riviera
Oggebbio
Ghiffa
Verbania
Baveno
Stresa
Belgirate
Lesa
Meina
Arona
Dormelletto
Castelletto sopra Ticino

Sesto Calende
Angera
Ranco
Ispra
Brebbia
Besozzo
Monvalle
Leggiuno
Laveno-Mombello
Castelveccana
Porto Valtravaglia
Brezzo di Bedero
Germignaga
Luino
Maccagno
Tronzano Lago Maggiore
Pino sulla Sponda del Lago Maggiore

Islands



Borromean Islands (three islands and two islets located between Verbania to the north and Stresa to the south)


Isola Bella


Isola Madre


Isola dei Pescatori (or Isola Superiore)


Isolino di San Giovanni (in front of Verbania)


Scoglio della Malghera (between Isola Bella and Isola Pescatori)

Brissago Islands (close to Brissago)


★ San Pancrazio (or Grande Isola)


★ Isolino (or Isola Piccola or Isola di Sant’Apollinare)

Castelli di Cannero (three small islands just off the shore from Cannero Riviera)

Isolino Partegora (in the gulf of Angera)
Isola Bella



Events


The Spirit of Woodstock Festival is an annual open air festival at the end of July/beginning of August at Mirapuri.

External links



Lake Maggiore - Tourist guide on the Lake Maggiore

Official Tourism Gateway Lake Maggiore Official Tourism Gateway

Ferry Services on Italian Lakes - Lake Maggiore

CIPAIS Commissione Internazionale per la Protezione delle Acque Italo-Svizzere limnologic reports on the Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano

Casavarese - Tourist guides on the lake, photo galleries

Magazzeno Storico Verbanese Historical bibliography on the region

Waterlevels at Brissago from the Federal Office for the Environment

Waterlevels at Locarno from the Federal Office for the Environment

Fortean Times Maggiore's Mythic Monster

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