Lago Maggiore Express

Part scenic railway, part lake cruise, the Lago Maggiore Express is a day-long journey through some of the most stirring landscapes in the Alpine region. Departing Locarno aboard the Centovallina train, you spend roughly ninety minutes gliding through the romantic Centovalli and Vigezzo valleys -- a succession of dizzying bridges, rushing watercourses, terraced vineyards, dense forests, and stone-built mountain villages -- before arriving in Domodossola. Then the character of the journey shifts entirely: a three-hour navigation across Lake Maggiore carries you past picturesque towns, the legendary Borromean Islands, the atmospheric ruins of the Cannero castle, and the lush Brissago Islands, before the bay of Locarno welcomes you home.

The itinerary

From Locarno, the Centovallina train swiftly reaches Ponte Brolla, where you glimpse the dramatic gorge of the Maggia River before entering the Terre di Pedemonte and passing through Tegna, Verscio, and Cavigliano. At Intragna -- home to Ticino's tallest bell tower -- the journey through the Centovalli proper begins. This is an enchanting stretch: vertiginous bridges arc over deep ravines, spectacular bodies of water appear below (including Lake Palagnedra), and small villages cling to the steep valley slopes amid forests and vineyards.

At Camedo the train crosses into Italy and enters the Vigezzo Valley, also known as the Valley of Painters. You soon reach Re, where an imposing sanctuary dedicated to the Madonna del Sangue (Our Lady of the Blood) commemorates a miracle of 1494. The landscape broadens towards Santa Maria Maggiore, a charming resort town favoured by Milanese holidaymakers. It houses the Chimneysweeper Museum and a beautifully preserved centre. Two young emigrants from this very town went on to invent the famous perfume Eau de Cologne.

Once in Domodossola -- a handsome pre-Alpine Piedmont town -- you change trains and, after skirting the picturesque Lake Mergozzo, reach Stresa, where the boat journey begins.

Stresa charms with its well-preserved historic centre, but its crowning glory is the view of the Borromean Islands, arrayed directly across the waterfront. Named for the noble Borromeo family of Milan, who have owned them since the 16th century, the islands combine remarkable palaces, inventive gardens, and picturesque houses in a composition that every major travel guide considers unmissable.

After visiting the Borromean Islands, the boat continues along the Italian shore with stops in lakeside villages such as Pallanza, Cannero, and Cannobio. One of the journey's most evocative snapshots is the sight of the 16th-century ruins of the Cannero Castles, perched on two small islands and currently under restoration.

Beyond the Swiss border, the Brissago Islands come into view, their precious botanical garden glinting green against the blue water. The unmistakable waterfront of Ascona appears in the distance as the boat glides along the Gambarogno Riviera for the final stretch back into the bay of Locarno.

Tickets for the 3 segments must be purchased separately at the respective transport companies:

• Locarno - Domodossola with the Centovallina railway (La Biglietteria Fart, Piazza Stazione, Locarno)
• Domodossola - Stresa by train (railway station, Domodossola)
• Stresa - Locarno by boat (pier Navigazione Lago Maggiore, Stresa)