Lake Maggiore, or Lago di Maggiore, is one of Italy's largest and most popular lakes. Formed from a glacier, the lake is surrounded by hills in the south and mountains in the north. It's a long and narrow lake, about 65 kilometers long but only 1 to 4 kilometers in width, with a total distance around the lake shore of 150 kilometers. Offering year-round tourist activities and a fairly mild climate, the lake can be visited almost any time of year.Lake Maggiore, north of Milan, is on the border of Italy's Lombardy and Piedmont regions and the northern part of the lake extends into southern Switzerland. See our Lombardy Map or Piedmont Map for location. The lake is 20 kilometers north of Milan's Malpensa Airport. Search for flights to Milan on Hipmunk.The western shore of Lake Maggiore is served by the Milan to Geneva (Switzerland) rail line with stops in several towns including Arona and Stresa. Locarno, Switzerland, at the north end of the lake is also on the rail line. The closest airport is Milan Malpensa (See Italy Airports Map). Bus service between Malpensa Airport and the lake towns of Dormelletto, Arona, Belgirate, Stresa, Baveno, Pallanza, and Verbania is provided by Alibus (confirm with the bus company if you're traveling outside summer).
