Art and Nature are the twin glories of the Lake Maggiore area, and  the numerous museums recording the history and culture of the area often stand in a beautiful natural setting by the lake or in the nearby mountains and hills.

The Landscape Museum in Verbania Pallanza, founded with the intention of highlighting the scenic beauty of the Lake Maggiore area through art, contains a large collection of paintings, sculptures and objects of archaeological interest. In Santa Maria Maggiore in the Vigezzo Valley, known as the “Painters’ Valley”, the Rossetti Valentini Museum has a fine collection of works by the many excellent artists who have worked in the valley. 

Unusual museums include the Hat Museum in Ghiffa and the Umbrella Museum in Gignese.

Two more modern museums on Lake Orta are the Museum of Design and the Museum of Taps, both definitely worth a visit, while ancient traditions and customs are on display in the Museum of the Mountains in Macugnaga and the Museum of Woodworking in the Strona Valley.

Art exhibitions are also regularly held in the museums.