Unusual Things to Do Around Lake Maggiore

Past the islands and the ferries, the hinterland behind Lake Maggiore hides some genuinely odd, lovely things — starting with what is said to be the largest tea plantation in Europe, growing quietly in the hills above the water.

None of these are the obvious lake outing. That is exactly why they are worth a day.

Europe's largest tea plantation

Above the lake at Premosello-Chiovenda is a tea plantation described as the largest in Europe — an unlikely thing to find in the Italian Alps. You walk the fields and the laboratory, taste the tea, and head home with a bag of tea seeds. About two hours, from 36 € per person.

A dinner cooked in the wild

This one starts with a drive: a Defender takes you deep into the Ossola valley to a secret clearing, where a chef cooks a refined seasonal meal in the open air from foraged and local ingredients. About six hours, from 220 € per person — a whole afternoon and evening, not a quick outing.

A candlelit farmhouse table

For a special evening closer to base, a five-course candlelit tasting menu inside a 17th-century farmhouse, with wine pairings and a choice of vegetarian or meat menus built around modern Italian cooking. About three hours, from 90 € per person.

There is also a daytime version — a private seasonal lunch in the same kind of 17th-century farmhouse setting, five courses with wine pairings. From 90 € per person.

Make something with your hands

In Mergozzo, two quiet afternoons with Patricia. One is a frame loom, weaving yarns together with dried flowers and plant fibres foraged from the garden, then taking the tapestry home. From 80 € per person.

The other is a sketching walk through the town — its corners drawn in pencil, ink and watercolour, sketches yours to keep. From 80 € per person.

The honest notes

• Most of these are inland, in the Ossola, at Mergozzo, or above the lake at Premosello — not lakeside. Worth knowing if you are set on staying by the water.
• Some are small-group or by-arrangement. Confirm the timing and the language when you book.
• The tea plantation is the easy one — short, all-ages, and offered in several languages.

FAQ

What unusual things can you do around Lake Maggiore?

Tour what is said to be the largest tea plantation in Europe, tucked in the hills above the lake; have a chef cook a foraged meal in a hidden clearing in the Ossola valley; sit down to a candlelit five-course dinner in a 17th-century farmhouse; or spend an afternoon weaving or sketching in Mergozzo.

Is there really a tea plantation near Lake Maggiore?

Yes — a tea plantation in the hills above the lake at Premosello-Chiovenda, described as the largest in Europe. You tour the fields and the laboratory, taste the tea, and leave with a bag of tea seeds. About two hours, from 36 € per person.

What is a good unusual experience for a special evening?

A candlelit five-course tasting dinner inside a 17th-century farmhouse, with wine pairings and a choice of vegetarian or meat menus, from 90 € per person. For something more adventurous, the "Cook in the Wild" meal is driven out to a secret clearing in the Ossola and cooked in the open air.

Are these experiences on the lake itself?

Mostly no — several are inland, in the Ossola valley, at Mergozzo, or above the lake at Premosello. Some run as small-group or by-arrangement experiences, so confirm timing and language when you book. The tea plantation tour is the easiest and most family-friendly of the group.