Tourists usually visit Laveno, directly east of Stresa on the other side of Lago Maggiore, for one of two reasons. Either to use the lake’s only car ferry which shuttles backwards and forwards between Verbania and Laveno, or to experience the endearingly old fashioned bidonvia (bucketlift) which will whisk you up from just above lake level to a stunning belvedere at 974 metres.

 

Italians who live in the hinterland and in the great Po Valley conurbations are much more alive to Laveno’s charms and descend on the town en masse on weekends, strolling up and down the lakeside promenade, dressed in their Sunday best.

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For locals, this town’s appeal lies largely in its ease of access. Like other lakeside towns, such as Arona, Lecco, Como and Sirmione, reachable by train, Laveno is a classic weekend getaway destination. In fact, you’ll find the usual clutch of ice-cream parlours and clothes shops dotted throughout the town. In short, a great spot for people-watching.

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Bear in mind that the town’s popularity as a weekend destination means that bottlenecks may form on Sunday afternoon as day-trippers return home. Laveno is anything but a tranquil backwater, so if you are just passing through, plan your journey accordingly.

 

Austrian Port

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Laveno’s history has been shaped by its one natural asset: the only natural port on the east coast. It is an interesting quirk of history that Laveno was once a frontier port for the Austrian navy! Just 150 years ago, one would have witnessed the strange sight of Austrian gunboats steaming in and out of the port, patrolling their borders. In fact, just north of the town is a navy gun emplacement.

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Nowadays, the port bustles with harbour-side life. The town’s importance as a transport hub was augmented when the railway line was opened in 1882. Later, two other lines were added, both terminating in Laveno by the lakeside, one arriving from Milan and one from Varese. This in turn led to the establishment of a major ceramics industry, now defunct. As a reminder of the area’s past glories, one can visit the interesting ceramics museum at Cerro, housing a large collection of artefacts.

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The waterside area is attractive, but you are never far from the roar of traffic. Unusually for Italian towns, Laveno does not have an extensive pedestrianized old centre. To escape the crowds and experience traditional, old-time Italy with quiet cobbled streets, there is a very pretty hillside area north east of the port, close to the bucket-lift departure station. Alternatively, if you’re feeling sporty, head for the cycle track which has recently been completed. Around 5 kilometres long, it starts by the lakeside station and runs as far as Cittiglio.

 

Bucket lift

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Look east from Stresa over to the far side of the lake on a summers night and you should see a vertical line of twinkling lights climbing a steep mountainside and shimmering in the dark. Unique nowadays, this unusual cable car system which is only one of two lifts running from Lago Maggiore up to the mountains, comprises strange open-top buckets running up to an observation point with a bar/restaurant.

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If you don’t trust the ancient looking bucket lift, you can either walk up or otherwise drive to the rustic village of Vararo and then Casere di Laveno, high up in the hills, six kilometres from Laveno. From here there is a pleasant forest walk to reach the observation point.

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The vista from the restaurant complex, at 1000 metres, is phenomenal as no other hills or mountains impede the views south towards the Po Valley.

 

Ski resort

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You can continue up to the top of the mountain, Sasso del Ferro, which is just over 1000 metres high. On the way up you’ll notice a derelict ski lift. The piste running from the top of the mountain down to the bucket lift station was fairly short and very steep on either side; it can't have been used frequently as snow cover was usually insufficient. The Leitner T-bar operated from 1963 to 1984.