A journey into the past

A fortress on the water

The Castelli di Cannero are located a few kilometres away from Ascona. These imposing structures tell a 500-year-old story.

The Castelli di Cannero are an attractive excursion destination for history buffs and architecture fans. The castles are unique attractions built on the rocks that rise out of Lake Maggiore over 500 years ago. In 1519, Ludovico Borromeo settled on these small islands across from the Italian municipalities of Cannero and Cannobio. The restoration work on the Cannero castles began exactly five centuries later. The aim is to transform the ruins of the castles into a museum where finds from the archaeological digs can be exhibited that tell the history of the castles.
Today, you can admire the remnants of the castles out in Lake Maggiore either from the land, water, or air. In Cannero, which is around a 40-minute drive away from our gourmet restaurant in Ascona, you can enjoy a fantastic view of the old castles. From there, you can also cover the few metres to the islands by boat to see the ancient structures up close.