Cannero Riviera

Access

Cannero Riviera is connected to the other centres of Lake Maggiore by the road network along the western shore and lake transport services operating with varying intensity depending on the season. The locality is located north of Verbania, along the axis that runs up the lake towards the border with Canton Ticino. The municipality does not have its own railway station: rail connections are made through stations located in nearby towns, with final transfer by bus or boat. The proximity to Switzerland favours cross-border movements both for tourism and everyday mobility, placing the town in a wider territorial context.

Introduction

Cannero Riviera is a municipality in Piedmont located on the western shore of Lake Maggiore, in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in a stretch of coastline characterised by a particularly mild microclimate that favours plant forms of almost Mediterranean inspiration. The territory develops between the lake's edge and the mountain slopes behind, where small settlements, woods and terraces mark the transition from the lake shores to higher altitudes. The outline of the town is also made recognisable by the presence, just offshore, of the so-called Cannero castles, fortifications on small islands that, although administratively belonging to the municipality of Cannobio, constitute a strong identity element in the landscape of the middle Verbano.

Description

The main inhabited area is laid out on a short coastal plain and extends along the lakefront and the slopes rising towards the upper hamlets, with an urban layout of alleys, steps and terraced paths. The mitigating influence of the lake creates favourable climatic conditions for ornamental and tree species typical of more southerly contexts, a factor that has favoured the municipality's tourist and residential vocation over time. The slopes behind are home to extensive chestnut groves and ancient paved roads, evidence of the historical connection routes between the highest nuclei and the valley floor, which today have become an important heritage for slow hiking.
Historically speaking, Cannero Riviera appears in medieval documents and shares the vicissitudes of the coastal communities of Verbano, passing through phases of lordly control, periods marked by wartime tensions and an intense tradition of traffic via the lake. The fortifications on the small islands in front of the town have played strategic roles in different periods, passing through reconstructions, sieges and demolitions. Their presence, in addition to their historical value, constitutes a recognisable visual reference for those travelling along the northern stretch of Lake Maggiore. During the 20th century, the gradual decline of traditional agricultural activities was accompanied by the development of tourism, small-scale accommodation and services related to seasonal flows and secondary residences.
The area offers a diversified network of hiking trails, with itineraries that connect the lakeside towns and others that penetrate into the mountainous areas. The so-called Via delle Genti (People's Path) links Cannobio to Cannero with a mixture of paths, asphalt and dirt tracks that pass through wooded areas and historic nuclei such as Carmine Superiore, a point of particular interest for its panoramic position and the preservation of its traditional architectural layout. Other routes go up the slopes offering sweeping views of the lake, the Piedmontese shores and nearby Switzerland, favouring a slow enjoyment of the landscape. Alongside the land routes, tourist navigation is a further way of getting to know the morphology of the coastline, the terraces, the architecture overlooking the water and the small fortified islands.

Information

Area: 14.4 km²
Altitude: 225m
Maximum elevation:  1,370m - slopes of Monte Morissolo
Number of inhabitants: 887 as of 31.07.2025
Name in dialect: Càner
Name in dialect: Cannerese
Patron Saint: Madonna del Carmine, celebrated on the second Monday in July
Bordering municipalities: Aurano, Brezzo di Bedero , Cannobio, Germignaga, Luino, Oggebbio, Trarego Viggiona
Website: comune.canneroriviera.vb.it