We, my wife and I, might end up staying about 4-5 days in the Italian lake district, coming from the Lausanne area in Switzerland, toward the end of our 24 day trip coming up this Aug/Sept. We will have already been to the Luzern, Berner Oberland, Lausanne/Montreux area, so we would be looking for a little taste of Italy as well. We are planning on a big trip to Italy in fall of 23,
so don't need to go overboard.
I love beautiful architecture, graceful buildings that complement the natural surroundings, and am wondering if there is an appreciable difference between the two lakes. We would not have a car. It seems from my research that both lakes have some strong points, with Lake Como and its villas/gardens, and Maggiore with Stresa and the Borromean islands. Someone posted years ago on a travel forum that Maggiore stood out for them for its architecture, but Lake Como also seems nice, so trying to decide if there really is a big difference.
Posted by
Paris
7322 posts
The scenery of Lake Como is a bit more impressive to me, but architecturally there is nothing quite at the level of the Borromean Islands there, so given your emphasis I would lean towards Lake Maggiore.
As a bonus, from Lausanne or Montreux, it is easier to get to than Lake Como: direct train to Stresa!
Now, 4-5 days there might be a bit long unless you also want some downtime for relaxation after a fairly long trip. And do not discount Milan either, definitely worth a short stay - which you probably need to plan anyway if you fly out of Milan.
Posted by
OP
Greater Sacramento
605 posts
Leaning toward Stresa as of now, with a day trip to Milan thrown in perhaps. We are flying from Zurich about a week after this so will head up to Freiburg (Germany, not Switzerland) after this. Outside of Stresa, and the islands, any other can't miss highlights? Thinking about our last night in the area being in Locarno, so we'd take the scenic rail line to get there.
Posted by
11647 posts
The owners of companies in Milan’s silk industry built magnificent villas and gardens on Lake Como so I recommend it. You can tour the lake and villas by ferry. My favorite is Villa Balbaniello.