Laveno is quite a bustling lakeside town on the Eastern shores of Lake Maggiore. It tends to be particularly popular at weekends with Italians who live nearby and who come to Laveno to enjoy a promenade along the lakeside pathways.
Many visitors make their way to Laveno simply to catch the car ferry across the lake to Intra on the other side. Incidentally, this journey takes about 20 minutes. Laveno also enjoys good train links to Milan. However, it is well worth stopping for a visit in the town before moving on.
What to do in Laveno
The main attraction in Laveno is definitely the rather aptly named and rather endearing ‘bucket lifts’ whose entrance is situated just outside the town centre. Each bucket accommodates just two people and takes you from Laveno Mombello to the summit 974 metres above sea level in about 16 minutes. From here, you can enjoy stunning views over Lake Maggiore as well as the pre Alps, Alps, the Po plain and other lakes. There is also a bar, cafe and restaurant at the summit so that you can sit and enjoy the view over a drink or a bite to eat. This mode of transport definitely isn’t for the feint hearted but they are lots of fun! I have to admit that, whilst children seem to absolutely love this cable car, adults can tend to be a bit more apprehensive… you’ll see why when you experience it for yourself!
Once at the summit, if you want to progress even further up the mountainside, then you can enjoy a walk to the top of Sasso del Ferro. It is a fairly steep 400 metre climb. You can either then walk back along the same route or opt for a circular route from here to the Poggio Vararo viewpoint. The trail isn’t always clearly marked but it’s a nice 2 km trail nonetheless.
If you can’t bring yourself to trust the mountainside lift, then you can walk or drive up to the village of Vararo and then a little further to Casere di Laveno. From here, you can then enjoy a walk through the forest to the observation point. There is also a launch station for hang gliding and parascending near the summit and a small path to allow you to get closer to the launch site. It can be quite enjoyable to spend an hour or so watching them take to the skies.
Laveno itself is quite a bustling town and whilst the waterside is rather charming, it doesn’t have a quiet pedestrianised area that many of Lake Maggiore’s towns and villages can boast. To find its quieter streets, head north east of the port nearer to the bucket lift station. Here you’ll find the more quaint cobbled streets and more traditional scenery that you may perhaps expect. Alternatively, if you fancy enjoying a bit of exercise during your visit, then a great option is to go for a bike ride along the cycle path. This starts at the lakeside boat station and heads away from the lake towards Cittiglio.
Laveno was once the heart of a major ceramics manufacturing industry. Whilst this industry sadly no longer exists, you can still learn more about its glorious past at the nearby museum in Cerro – the MIDeC (Museo Internazionale Design Ceramico).
A short distance away from Laveno is Santa Caterina del Sasso which is well worth a visit. This can be reached either by road or also by boat during the summer months. As the story goes, the hermitage was founded by Alberto Besozzi. He was a rich local merchant who, after having survived a heavy storm while crossing the lake, decided to retreat to the rocky ledge to live the life of a hermit. These days the monastery is entrusted to the care of the Benedictine monks. The buildings contain some important well-kept frescoes dating from the 14th to the 18th centuries.
Where to stay in Laveno
Villa Ranco is a fantastic 3 bedroom Italian Lakes villa in the village of Ranco on the shores of Lake Maggiore. It is just a 20 minute drive from Laveno or a short stop away on the boat network. Villa Ranco sleeps up to six guests comfortably and has the added bonus of enjoying direct lake access. With its own jetty, it’s even possible to moor your own boat here and find your own way by boat to nearby Laveno.
Alternatively, opt for a hotel in Laveno if you want to be in the very heart of the town.
How to get to Laveno
By air: The closest airport to Laveno is Milan Malpensa which is 38 km away and a journey time by car of approximately 50 minutes. Alternatively, Milan Linate is approximately 90 minutes by car from Laveno and Milan Bergamo airport an additional 15 minutes on top of this.
By boat: Laveno boasts its own boat stop with boats regularly taking passengers to and from the other towns and villages on the lake. The ferry timetable can be viewed at Navigazione Laghi. Whilst most boats on Lake Maggiore are for foot passengers only, there is also a car ferry from Laveno to Intra.
By car: Laveno can be easily reached by car. There is a large car park next to the Laveno Mombello train station as well as parking on the street.
By train: Laveno has two train stations – Laveno Mombello and Laveno Mombello Nord. One comes from the direction of Milan and the other Varese.
By bus: There is a regular bus service to Laveno.