Lago Maggiore

The Lago Maggiore  - or Verbana - area is a beautiful, quiet, picturesque place with magnificent buildings and gorgeous gardens. It is literally littered with oleanders and verbena (hence the name of the area). The lake is surrounded by greenery, and the lake is also famous for its pink-tinted marble quarry, and the Isola Bella (Beautiful Island).

Inspiration

• the lake
• the oleanders 
• the riviera feel

Packing List

Things to remember: I've heard that in recent years, the area floods pretty much annually and one can see the marks of the water level on the buildings around the lake. So make sure you check the weather forecast before you go!

Also, floods or no floods, if it rains, you want to be prepared. So pack water-resistant shoes and appropriate outerwear. There are a lot of slopes in the area, so if you are looking to do a lot of walking, make sure you bring comfortable footwear; the area around the lake is easy-walking.

That goes for clothing too! Avoid tight skirts that limit movement - fit and flare dresses are both beautiful and allow ease of movement.

Let's not forget people in the Ferrara area who have just suffered a big earthquake.

Photo credits (top to bottom):
left column: Wedding Day in Italy, Wikipedia , Italian Visits, TripAdvisor
center column: Travel Italia, [mine], Wikimedia Commons
right column: [mine], [mine] , Varese Cultura