Real Italian feeling instead of a holiday backdrop: Laveno-Mombello and the east shore – best time, where to stay, experiences, budget and private boat tours.
The short answer
Lake Maggiore lies partly in Italy and partly in Switzerland, and its Italian east shore around Laveno-Mombello is one of those destinations that reward travellers with a real Italian feeling. Instead of crowded promenades, you'll find small villages where locals drink their cappuccino in the morning, weekly markets with regional produce and the Funivie del Lago Maggiore cable car that takes you up the Sasso del Ferro in ten minutes. Ferry links to Verbania and Stresa, train connections to Milan and private boat tours on a traditional gaff cutter with Striga Constanze make this destination equally interesting for couples, families, friends and those seeking peace.
Below we show you what makes Laveno & Co. so special, what you can experience and how to get more out of your Lake Maggiore holiday.
Most holidaymakers know Stresa or the Borromean Islands. But anyone looking for a destination that offers everyday Italian life rather than a pure holiday backdrop often ends up on the lesser-known east shore.
Lake Maggiore stretches across three regions: Piedmont and Lombardy in Italy and the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. This article focuses on the Italian shore between Angera in the south and Cannobio in the north. The region offers a mix of Alpine and Mediterranean landscape that exists in this combination on no other lake.
Typical pain points for Lake Maggiore holidaymakers: crowded promenades in high season, noisy motorboats, rigid excursion programmes with 40 other tourists on one boat, searching for parking in well-known places like Stresa or Verbania. On the east shore around Laveno-Mombello, Cerro and Brebbia things look different. Here lake views, everyday Italian life, good food and short distances to the best-known sights come together.
We at Striga Constanze experience the lake from the water every day and know the spots that are really worth it.
Matching tours
Bestseller€490
Private tour
Proposal€490
Private tour
Beginners€490
+ €20 p. p.Private tourClimate, landscape, culture and cuisine make the Italian shore a destination you won't exhaust in a few days.
Mild temperatures from March to October allow a long season. Lemons, camellias and kiwis grow on the shore; spring often begins as early as mid-March. An ideal time to visit is spring or early autumn, when temperatures are pleasant and visitor numbers low. The 2027 season at Striga Constanze starts on 1 March.
36.38% of holidaymakers chose Italy as their destination in 2023, and 65.4% plan a visit to Italy in 2024. Anyone who comes to Lake Maggiore finds both: swimming spots on small beaches and panoramic hikes with views of Monte Rosa. The local mountain Mottarone offers a 360-degree view over Lake Maggiore and the surrounding lakes.
Weekly markets in Laveno (Tuesdays) and Luino (Wednesdays), bars on the piazza where commuters and schoolchildren sit alongside holidaymakers. Lesa offers beautiful botanical gardens and charming churches, and as a base for exploring Piedmont it is hard to beat.
Risotto, freshwater fish, Piedmontese wines, aperitivo on the lakeshore. Simple trattorias charge €20–35 for a primo, fish dishes €30–40. At the markets you get regional produce directly from the producer.
Day trips to Milan (approx. 90 minutes by train from Laveno), Lake Como, Varese, the Ossola valley or Ticino in Switzerland. The Val Grande National Park, Italy's largest wilderness area, is close by.
In 3 steps
Lake Maggiore offers so much variety that a rough structure helps you experience your holiday in a relaxed rather than hectic way.
Plan at least 4–5 days, ideally 7–10 days. According to tourism data, visitors to Lake Maggiore stay an average of 3.1 days; those who stay longer experience the lake beyond the must-see programme.
The best time to travel depends on your priorities:
The 2026 season at Striga Constanze has ended. Reservations for 2027 are possible; early bookers secure their preferred date from the season start on 1 March 2027.
The choice of base determines how your holiday feels:
If you want to see a lot, stay centrally in Laveno or Verbania. If you seek peace, choose northern towns or small villages.
Plan only one or two main activities per day. Leave the rest of the time open for spontaneous dolce vita.
Rough activity blocks: boat and islands, mountains and panorama, city trip (Milan, Varese), beach and swimming day, food and markets. Reserve at least one day for an experience on the water; "really" experiencing the lake works best on a private sailing trip on a gaff cutter.
In many places on the east shore, craftsmen, schoolchildren and commuters are out and about in the morning. The weekly market in Luino (Wednesdays) attracts locals and visitors alike, with salami, cheese and fresh fruit from Piedmont. Fishmongers sell their catch in small harbours.
For holidaymakers that means: honest prices, real community, no staged experience. 58.55% of Italy travellers already know in advance which destination they're heading for. Anyone who consciously chooses the east shore finds exactly this authentic Italy.
The aim isn't to tick off every sight. A sunset on the water, a spontaneous swim stop, an aperitivo in a small fishing village; these are the moments that stay. Personalised boat tours, quiet beaches and short hikes help your holiday follow your pace.
Traditional gaff cutter, red sails, just your group. 3, 4 or 7 hours.
from €490
for up to 8 guests at a fixed price, up to 12 on request
The classic excursion boats on Lake Maggiore carry large groups on fixed schedules. The alternative: a private tour on the Striga Constanze, a traditional gaff cutter (built 1979, Baumgartner yard), with 55.7 m² of red gaff sails and room for up to 8 guests at a fixed price, up to 12 on request.
The difference is concrete: no engine noise, but wind and water. No fixed route, but flexible stops in bays, at Santa Caterina del Sasso, at the Borromean Islands or the Castelli di Cannero. Every tour belongs exclusively to one group. More: Sailing on Lake Maggiore.
The Borromean Islands are a major sight of Lake Maggiore. Isola Bella with its palace and gardens, Isola Madre with its botanical garden and Isola dei Pescatori, the only island in Lake Maggiore inhabited year-round. A 7-hour tour from Laveno covers all three islands; in 3–4 hours one or two islands are realistic.
Especially impressive from the water; the monastery nestled against the rock combines ideally with a boat tour and a short shore visit.
Castle ruins in the middle of the lake, open to the public since 2025. Afterwards a swim stop and aperitivo on board the gaff cutter. More: boat tour Cannero Riviera.
The first exit game on the water on Lake Maggiore, where sightseeing meets puzzle fun. Led by Beppe, the cheeky parrot of the pirate brothers Mazzarditi. Surcharge: €20 per person.
Striga Constanze offers exactly these routes as 3-, 4- or 7-hour tours, including a skipper as private guide.
Laveno-Mombello with the cable car up the Sasso del Ferro. Cerro with the Museo Internazionale del Design Ceramico (MiDeC) and small pebble beaches. Stresa with Belle Époque hotels and the lakeside promenade. Pallanza/Verbania with Villa Taranto. Cannobio with its medieval old town and Sunday market.
Short walks along the promenade, for example from Laveno to Cerro or from Verbania Intra to Pallanza, are worthwhile in every season. Around Lesa, the adventure park is 8 miles away; Alpyland is 6 miles away, and the Funivie del Lago Maggiore 7 miles. Holiday homes in Lesa often have a fully equipped kitchen, ideal for self-caterers. More ideas: Lake Maggiore sights.
Three concrete options for different expectations:
The Sasso del Ferro can be reached by cable car from Laveno (approx. 10 minutes, around €10 return). From the top station at about 1,060 metres the view reaches Monte Rosa and, on clear days, Milan Cathedral.
The Mottarone (between Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta) offers an all-round view over seven lakes. The hike on the summit plateau is family-friendly.
The Monte Morissolo in the north combines historic gun galleries with panoramic views over the mountains and the lake.
All three tours can be combined with a picnic or a stop at a mountain hut.
Other providers
Striga Constanze
Mass experience
just your group
Engine noise
sound of wind and water
To-do-list holiday
holiday at your own pace
Most viewed
Bestseller€490
Private tourBestseller€490
Private tour
Bestseller€490
Private tourSunset on the lake, candlelight moments on board, quiet bays away from the tourists. A sunset marriage proposal on a 3-hour tour, a honeymoon trip with aperitivo on the water or a wedding photoshoot on board: the choice is wide, the atmosphere intimate.
Safe, manageable villages, flat beaches in Cerro and at Reno di Leggiuno, ice-cream stands on the promenade, easily reachable excursions. On the traditional gaff cutter, children quickly get a pirate feeling. The exit game "The Treasure of the Mazzarditi" combines puzzles with sightseeing and works for the whole family. A family tour with a swim stop lasts 3 or 4 hours. More tips: Lake Maggiore with kids.
A day together on the lake with swim stops, island visits and aperitivo on board. Striga Constanze takes up to 8 guests at a fixed price and up to 12 people on request. That's enough for a group of friends or a small team-building event. Activities such as wine tastings, day trips and dinners together on the shore round off the programme.
The off-season on Lake Maggiore is like a paradise for anyone seeking silence. Meditation tours on board (3 or 4 hours, surcharge €20 per person for guidance and tea) and a 7-hour private retreat with digital detox offer structured slowing down without drifting into the esoteric.
The region offers everything from camping to boutique hotels. Here are some rough guide values.
According to the Distretto Turistico dei Laghi, there are around 912 accommodation providers in the Lake Maggiore region: 263 hotels and 649 non-hotel establishments (B&Bs, holiday apartments, agriturismi). Prices range from approx. €40–60 per night in simple holiday apartments to €150+ in upscale hotels. Outside high season prices drop noticeably.
Self-caterers save with regional markets. A pizza costs €8–12 in simple restaurants, a primo €15–25, fish dishes €25–40. Tuscany is the most popular destination in Italy; Apulia, Piedmont and Rome follow. Anyone who wants to experience Piedmont by the lake rather than on the plain will find excellent value for money on Lake Maggiore.
All tours are private tours at a fixed price for the whole group, including skipper:
Surcharges: €20 per person for exit game or meditation. Wedding celebration on board from €690. In bad weather, rebooking is free of charge.
The fixed price per boat (not per person) makes booking especially attractive for families and groups. With 8 guests, the 4-hour tour costs less than €87 per person.
No-obligation enquiry, reply within 24 hours. Weekends in the 2027 season go fast.
The most common option is a flight to Milan Malpensa (MXP). From there it's approx. 50–60 minutes by car to Laveno-Mombello on the east shore. Alternatives: Milan Linate, Bergamo or Lugano in Switzerland. By train you travel via Milan directly to Laveno-Mombello or Verbania-Pallanza. If you drive via Switzerland, budget for the vignette and tunnel tolls.
Season 2027
Pick a period, book your accommodation and secure special experiences on the water early. Reservations for the 2027 season at Striga Constanze are possible now.
On striga-constanze.com you can send a no-obligation enquiry directly. Personal advice, no booking machine.
Lake Maggiore as an Italian holiday destination offers everything that makes a trip special: nature, history, food and moments no photo can capture. Especially when you discover the lake from the water and at your own pace.
Skipper of the Striga Constanze
Ciao! Questions about the route, departure harbour or date? Just message me – I reply personally.
