Verbano-Cusio-Ossola is one of the very few Italian provinces whose name does not include that of its capital town — a sign that the land matters more here than any single city. Carved out of the province of Novara in 1992, it now gathers 74 municipalities in the far north of Piedmont, against the Swiss border, and is one of only three Italian provinces that are entirely mountainous. The administrative seat is Verbania, on the western shore of Lago Maggiore.
The three parts of the name are three different trips. From Stresa, boats cross to the Borromean Islands, the reason most visitors come. Omegna sits at the top of Lago d'Orta, and Domodossola is the working centre of the Ossola valleys, where roads climb toward the Swiss passes. Follow the lake north instead and you reach Cannobio.
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Our editors' ranking: the area's most important places, drawn from the individual town guides. See the national rankings →
1 🌿 Gardens & spas Borromean Islands 📍 Stresa A bare rock turned into ten terraces of garden: the Borromeo family's Isola Bella. 
2 🏰 Castles & palaces palazzo Borromeo 📍 Stresa The palace and ten terraces built on a rock, with white peacocks walking about. 
3 ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries chiesa della Beata Vergine Assunta 📍 Villadossola Two churches stacked above the Ovesca, and a Trinity painted as three identical Christs. Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
🍷 Food & wine 3 🛶 Lakes 3 🏔️ Mountains 2 🏛️ UNESCO heritage 2 🏘️ Villages 1 ♨️ Spa towns 1
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📅 Every year, on 4 November
On 4 November Montescheno celebrates its patron Saint Charles Borromeo; every third Sunday of July the town holds the "Autani dei sette fratelli" procession, a 22 km mountain route dating back to the 17th century.
📅 Every year, on 11 November
On 11 November Trarego Viggiona celebrates its patron Saint Martin; the municipal territory includes Monte Carza.
📅 Every year, on 11 November
On 11 November Masera celebrates its patron Saint Martin; the town is home to the Oratorio di Sant'Abbondio.
📅 Every year, on 11 November
On 11 November Vignone celebrates its patron Saint Martin of Tours; the municipal territory lies within the Parco Nazionale della Val Grande.
