Lago Maggiore

Lago Maggiore, also known as Lake Maggiore, is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest lake in Italy and the largest in southern Switzerland. The lake and its shoreline are divided between the Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy and the Swiss canton of Ticino. The climate is mild in both summer and winter, producing Mediterranean vegetation, with many gardens growing rare and exotic plants. Well-known gardens include those of the Borromean and Brissago Islands, that of the Villa Taranto in Verbania, and the Alpinia Botanical Garden above Stresa. The lake is surrounded by the Pennine and Lepontine Alps, and Lugano Prealps, with prominent peaks such as the Gridone, Monte Tamaro, Monte Nudo, and the Mottarone. The highest mountain overlooking Lake Maggiore is Monte Rosa, located about 50 kilometers west of it. Ghiffa is a comune in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 120 kilometers northeast of Turin and about 7 kilometers northeast of Verbania on the western shore of the Lake Maggiore. It is most famous for the Sacro Monte, a site of pilgrimage and worship close to it, inserted by UNESCO in the World Heritage List