If you’re looking for pristine waters in beautiful natural surroundings, Lago Mergozzo is hard to beat. It is widely claimed to be Italy’s cleanest lake.

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Due to the fact that the lake’s water bubbles up from underground springs, with just one small tributary, the claim could well be true. Locals, who usually know what’s best, flock here during the hot summer months. Not as famous as other lakes, this is the ideal place for families looking for calm, safe and above all clean water for swimming in.  Watch out for the family of white ducks who are likely to come begging insistently for scraps of food!

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Just a few minutes from Lago Maggiore, into which it leisurely flows, the Lake is completely surrounded by forested hills with the exception of the southern shore which is occupied by a campsite, a beautiful stretch of woodland and a golf course. There is just one small settlement, the town of Mergozzo on the northern shore, a  beautiful place built entirely of stone which tumbles down from a hilltop to the water’s edge like some Mediterranean seaside town.

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Apart from one road bisecting the town, it is entirely pedestrian and features a lovely lakefront area with several restaurants and bars. The picturesque lakeside promenade extends beyond the town, passing a campsite, before reaching a wonderful grassy area which is where local people enjoy sunbathing and swimming in the clear water. Extending for almost a kilometre, at either end there is a bar offering the usual amenities. After a recent tornado there is less shade than there used to be as many willows and alder trees were torn down.

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As Lake Mergozzo is situated at the foot of Val d’Ossola, snow-capped mountains can be viewed most of the year round. The 2000 metre mountain, Mt Massone, rising up behind the town, is of particular interest as it is the site of the Ossola valley’s most southerly Germanic Walser settlement.

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The more adventurous may relish the opportunity to indulge in a spot of tombstoning (cliff diving) on the far side of the lake. The brave can leap from a range of natural platforms, each at a different height.

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Our favourite beach on Lago Mergozo is a perfectly formed horseshoe beach. Though just a couple of hundred metres from a major mainline station, Verbania, with frequent stops, this beach is only for those in the know as it is totally hidden from view and only reachable by passing under a railway bridge next to the station. 

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With its shallow horseshoe-shaped lagoon, the lush area behind the beach offers just about everything you could wish for: crystalline waters in what is purportedly Italy’s cleanest lake, total peace and quiet, a narrow ribbon of sand fringing the waters, a large grassy area for relaxing in, plenty of alder trees for shade, rare riparian woodland if you fancy a stroll and a snack bar offering a range of amenities including pedalos. The only downside is that the grassy area can get waterlogged after rain.

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Mergozzo has a very active boat club and as the sun dies down in the late afternoon you are likely to see groups of youngsters paddling round the lake in various types of craft followed by their trainer in his motorboat, the only motorised boat you will see on the Lake as motor boats are otherwise banned. Despite being such a small town, Mergozzo definitely punches above its weight in terms of the number of champion rowers and canoers it has produced, sometimes sending participants to the Olympic Games.

Keep an eye open for the bakery selling the traditional local biscuit, the fugascia.  

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Parking is about 100 metres further on, on the right.