What to see on Lake Maggiore, from easy visits to steep ones
By the TravelCheap Editorial Team · Updated October 28, 2026
Isola Bella is the headline sight, but its garden is ten terraces stacked like a pyramid, and the owners warn that access can be hard with reduced mobility. Villa Taranto's gardens and Isola dei Pescatori are easier days out.
If steps are a problem, Santa Caterina del Sasso has a lift (€1 a trip, free for people with reduced mobility) instead of its 268 steps.
Easier visits
- Villa Taranto gardens, Verbania: €15 at the box office or €14 online, €10 for ages 12 to 26, €2.50 for ages 6 to 11. Visitors with a disability and a companion go free (Villa Taranto gardens 2026 (official leaflet)).
- Isola dei Pescatori: a fishing village with cobbled lanes, the church of San Vittore and lake-fish restaurants. There is no entry ticket (Borromean Islands (Stresa Turismo)).
- Cannobio Sunday market: about 8:00 to 15:00 on the lakefront, also reachable by boat from Locarno and Brissago (Cannobio market (Ticino Turismo)).
- Orrido di Sant'Anna near Cannobio: a gorge about 25 m deep, best seen from the old bridge (Sant'Anna gorge (Il Lago Maggiore)).
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Compare hotels in StresaMore steps and climbs
| Sight | 2026 price | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Isola Bella (palace and garden) | €27 adult, €18 ages 6 to 15 | Ten garden terraces; a lift reaches the palace first floor; no strollers; boats can be difficult with reduced mobility |
| Isola Madre | €23 adult, €15 youth | Gardens; its camellias open the season in spring |
| Santa Caterina del Sasso | €5 (€3 reduced) | 268 steps or a lift at €1 a trip, free with reduced mobility |
| Rocca di Angera | €18 adult, €13 youth | Castle with a doll and toy museum and a medieval garden |
Sources: Isola Bella: hours and prices (Terre Borromeo), Isola Bella visit regulations (Terre Borromeo), Isola Bella accessibility (Terre Borromeo), Isola Madre: hours and rates (Terre Borromeo), Santa Caterina del Sasso openings (Mi-Lorenteggio), Santa Caterina del Sasso: steps, lift and hours (Isadora Verite) and Rocca di Angera: hours and rates (Terre Borromeo). On Isola Bella you visit the palace (up to about 60 minutes) before the garden. Visitors with a certified disability of 30% or more enter free.
Mottarone: closed
The Stresa to Mottarone cable car has been closed since the accident of 23 May 2021. On 21 October 2026 Stresa and the Piedmont region set out a plan to update the design and apply for a €10 million grant, but no reopening date has been given (Mottarone cable car restart plan (VCO News)).
Frequently asked questions
Is Isola Bella accessible?
Only partly. A lift reaches the palace first floor, but the garden is on ten terraces and the owners say access can be challenging with reduced mobility. Strollers are not allowed.
How much is Santa Caterina del Sasso?
Entry costs €5 (€3 reduced). You can take 268 steps down or a lift at €1 a trip, free for people with reduced mobility.
Which Borromean Island is free?
Isola dei Pescatori, a fishing village, has no entry ticket. You only pay the ferry.
Plan the trip
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More Lake Maggiore guides
Sources
- Villa Taranto gardens 2026 (official leaflet)
- Borromean Islands (Stresa Turismo)
- Cannobio market (Ticino Turismo)
- Sant'Anna gorge (Il Lago Maggiore)
- Isola Bella: hours and prices (Terre Borromeo)
- Isola Bella visit regulations (Terre Borromeo)
- Isola Bella accessibility (Terre Borromeo)
- Isola Madre: hours and rates (Terre Borromeo)
- Santa Caterina del Sasso openings (Mi-Lorenteggio)
- Santa Caterina del Sasso: steps, lift and hours (Isadora Verite)
- Rocca di Angera: hours and rates (Terre Borromeo)
- Mottarone cable car restart plan (VCO News)
Prices, timetables and trail status change. We checked the figures on this page on October 28, 2026. Found something out of date? Email contact@travelcheap.online.