The lakefront and the gorge of Sant'Anna
On the north western shore of Lake Maggiore, a few kilometres from the Swiss border, Cannobio is one of the most charming villages on the lake, with a long, lively lakefront lined with colourful houses, cafés and restaurants, and a medieval centre of narrow lanes and stairways climbing up from the water. On the lakefront stands the Sanctuary of the Santissima Pietà, built in the sixteenth century on the site where, according to tradition, in 1522 a small painting of the Pietà began to bleed, a miracle still remembered every year with a procession.
Every Sunday morning, Cannobio hosts one of the most famous markets of the Italian lakes, with hundreds of stalls along the lake, visited by many Swiss and German tourists. Just outside the village, in the Val Cannobina, the stream Cannobino flows through the Orrido di Sant'Anna, a deep, narrow gorge carved into the rock, with green, clear water, crossed by an ancient stone bridge with a single arch, next to the small church of Sant'Anna of 1638: a picturesque place, perfect for a walk and, in summer, a swim in the pools of the stream. From the lake, in front of Cannero, you can see the ruins of the Castelli della Malpaga, two castles built in the fifteenth century on small rocks emerging from the water, once a lair of pirate brothers.
Tip: arrive early on Sundays, when the market fills the village; the gorge of Sant'Anna is a short drive or about half an hour's walk from the centre.
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