Markets on Italy’s Lake Maggiore
Weekly Markets Sell Local Cheeses, Antiques, Fast Food and Crafts
As much a mirror of local life as a place to shop, weekly street markets around Lake Maggiore offer a lively buzz and a chance to sample some local culinary specialties.
The shopping experiences that surround Lake Maggiore range from discount bargains in the many factory outlets to the high fashion boutiques of Stresa and Ascona. Lake Maggiore lies mostly in Italy, but extends north into the Ticino, the Italian-speaking cantons of Switzerland, so shopping here is a truly international experience.
No one would claim that the weekly markets that clog the streets and waterfronts with vendors offer much to fill the suitcases of travelers. Most of the stalls are hung with cheap imported clothing or stacked with tacky do-dads. But they do offer a chance to pick up forgotten necessities or a few small gifts for children back home, and among the junk may be craftsmen or artists, or the occasional second-hand dealer with a table full of antique ceramics from Laveno.
And they give a window to the products of local farms and artisanal food producers. Wherever there is a street market, there will be at least one farmer selling cheese, honey and his wife’s fruit jams. There will also be the local maker of spicy salami, and at least one baker, making the market a good place to gather provisions for a picnic while you engage in some culinary tourism.
The best way to get to these is by boat or public transport, since parking is difficult and traffic is nightmarish on market days. If you are staying in one of these towns on market day, don’t plan to leave town by car until after the market has closed; the streets may be completely blocked. And don’t choose Wednesday to drive around the eastern shore of the lake, since Luino’s market stretches right along the lake shore road.
Here are the weekly markets (all are morning unless otherwise noted) that you’ll find in the Italain and Swiss towns around Lake Maggiore and neighboring Lake Lugano (in Switzerland) and Lake Orta:
- Ascona (Lake Maggiore): Tuesday. Lungolago/Piazza G. Motta.
- Belinzona : Saturday (outstanding farmers and food producers market with crafts)Centro Storico.
- Belinzona: Wednesday Second Hand Book Market, 1:30-8:30, Piazza Magoria.
- Canobbio (Lake Maggiore): Sunday
- Locarno (Lake Maggiore): Thursday, Piazza Grande.
- Lugano (Lake Lugano): Friday-Saturday, Antique Market, 8--12, Fri, 8--5 Sat. Quartiere Canova.
- Lugano (Lake Lugano): Friday, Piazza della Riforma.
- Luino (Lake Maggiore): Wednesday (the largest, with general merchandise, mostly poor quality)
- Omegna (Lake Orta) Thursday
- Porlezza (Lake Lugano): Saturday
- Verbania (at Intra, near the ferry dock): Saturday
