Lake Maggiore is the second largest lake in Italy, bisected by the border between Lombardy (East) and Piedmont (West). Its northern end is in the Swiss Ticino canton. At an elevation of 633 feet (193 m) above sea level, the lake is 34 miles (54 km) long, with a maximum width of 7 miles (11 km) and a maximum depth of 1,220 feet (372 m).
The lake is traversed from north to south by the Ticino River, and its other principal affluents are the Maggia from the north, the Toce from the west, and the short Tresa from Lake Lugano on the east. Off the western shore are the famous Borromean Islands, geologic continuations of the Pallanza Promontory. Lake Maggiore is bordered by the Swiss Alps to the north and by the Lombardian Plain and has a warm, mild climate.