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One of the most interesting routes in northern Italy is definitely the Lake Maggiore tour.

First and foremost, it is a ride suitable for everyone: in fact, although 165 km long, the Lake Maggiore tour has an elevation gain of only 800 meters.

Before I start explaining the Lake Maggiore bike tour, I’ll leave you with a link to a 10% discount on Heymondo insurance, including cycle tours!

TOUR OF LAKE MAGGIORE: LOMBARDY PART

I started the tour from my hometown, Angera, which is definitely worth a visit!

After five kilometers of flat terrain I reached Ispra, and we finally begin to see the lake. The stretch between Ispra and Laveno is decidedly scenic in places, although it is perhaps the most tiring of the whole ride since there is no shortage of ups and downs. It is worth noting that you can admire the beautiful hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso, located nine kilometers after Ispra.

Laveno is one of the most beautiful towns on the entire lake: in addition to the beautiful marina, it is home to two famous viewpoints such as the Pizzoni di Laveno and the Sasso del Ferro. From Laveno you can reach Intra, on the Piedmont shore of the lake, by ferry. As soon as you leave Laveno, the road becomes decidedly narrower: you also have to pass through a tunnel about 1.5 km long, fortunately well lit. The road becomes wider at Portovaltravaglia: from here it is only 5 km to Luino, perhaps the most famous town on the Lombard shore. Indeed, Luino is perhaps the liveliest town on the entire lake, and it is well connected to Varese, the provincial capital.

From Luino I quickly reached Maccagno: from this small town it is possible to reach Passo della Forcora and Lake Delio. Instead, I continued pedaling along the lake: the road is really scenic and almost totally flat. I thus reached the Italian-Swiss border at Zenna, located 50 km from Angera.

LAKE MAGGIORE TOUR: SWISS AND PIEDMONT PART

From Zenna I pedaled 25 km to Locarno, which is located on the northern tip of Lake Maggiore. From Locarno, thanks to a beautiful 5-kilometer-long bicycle path, you reach my favorite town on Lake Maggiore: Ascona. In fact, the lakeside walk to Ascona is truly spectacular! You can admire the high Swiss mountains and there is no shortage of bars and restaurants. From Ascona you can reach the Swiss-Italian border in just 9 km. After another 10 km, you reach Cannero, famous for its islands and the road leading to Piancavallo, home to one of the most beautiful terraces on all of Lake Maggiore.

After about 114 km from Angera I arrived in Intra, the most famous town on all of Lake Maggiore: it is therefore an ideal place to refresh oneself. From Intra I continued toward the fondotoce, before arriving in Stresa: this small town is famous for its luxury hotels and for being the base for visiting the Borromean Islands. I continued to pedal along the lake until I reached Arona, at km 148: from here it is possible to admire the Rocca di Angera, which was reached after a further 16 km, the latter not very pleasant and not very scenic.

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USEFUL TIPS FOR THE LAKE MAGGIORE TOUR

The tour of Lake Maggiore is about 164 km long, with an elevation gain of 850 meters:

No difficult climbs are reported: the altimetrically most complicated part is from Ispra to Laveno.

It is possible to find small villages all the time. Therefore, it is not difficult to find bars for refreshment.

I rode the tour counterclockwise. The advantage of riding it this way is due to the fact that, in case of fatigue, you can shorten the ride by taking a boat in Intra, Stresa or Arona. Schedules for the Navigazione Laghi Maggiore . On the other hand, by pedaling clockwise you have the lake close to you and are always “kissed” by the sun.

There are few bicycle paths. The only one worth mentioning is from Locarno to Ascona, which is 5 km long and runs alongside the embankments.

The road section from Laveno to Luino is definitely narrow in places, so care must be taken. The busiest parts are from Verbania to Baveno, from Arona to Sesto Calende, and from Angera to Ispra.

As mentioned earlier, there is no shortage of bars and restaurants. There is also no shortage of campsites-every town has one!

The Lake Maggiore tour is therefore very beautiful. It is also advisable as a cycle tour, trying to get to know also the “side” beauties, such as Santa Caterina del Sasso, the Borromean Islands and the beautiful terrace on Lake Maggiore of Piancavallo! Obviously deserving a special mention is my town, Angera, and its Rocca!