Here under Switzerland - Lugano, you will find travel information about Lugano, the most popular city of the only Italian speaking canton in Switzerland, Ticino.
Ticino's capital city is Bellinzona. However the towns of Switzerland - Lugano, Locarno and Ascona are the most popular with visitors to Ticino.
Ticino enjoys a slightly milder and sunnier climate than the rest of Switzerland; its lakes, palm trees and luxury hotels and resorts give it the character of an aristocratic and laid-back Riviera. Even if you don't rent a room there, have a cup of tea at the Splendide Royal Hotel; or spend the night in the sumptuous Eden au Lac (right on the water's edge), the beautiful Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola or the Principe Leopoldo e Residenze (the latter two highly recommended).
To see and do in Lugano and surroundings:
Lugano Old Town - Piazza della Riforma - The little sloping streets are a paradise for those who want to go shopping. Via Nassa, with its arcades lined with elegant luxury shops is the main street. It leads to Piazza della Riforma, a vast and busy square surrounded by café terraces.
Municipal Park - A pleasant shaded park by Lake Lugano. Just by the conference centre, this park is worth a visit. It regularly hosts open-air concerts. Fountains and statues decorate the park and there is a deer enclosure, an apiary and a play area for children.
Villa Favorita - via Riviera 14 - Lugano - Phone: 091 972 17 41. This beautiful villa used to house the treasures of the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection. Situated by the lake, this late 17C building is surrounded by a park with many trees. The main part of the paintings in the collection owned by the Thyssen-Bornemisza barons from the 1920s was transferred to Madrid. Now, Villa Favorita contains temporary exhibitions.
Locarno - Piazza Grande - 30 miles away from Lugano, lies Locarno, by the Lake Maggiore. The centre of the old town of Locarno is the Piazza Grande. This is a popular spot for tourists and a well-known location with locals. The long paved square attracts the crowds with its arcades lined with shops, cafés and restaurants. Its old houses with balconies in pastel colors add an extra charm and the square stretches east on Largo Zorzi up to the boat moorings on the lake.
Madonna del Sasso - A popular place of pilgrimage. This very popular sanctuary is perched atop a wooded spur. On 15 August 1480, the Virgin Mary appeared here to a hermit. A chapel was built in her name, marking the origin of the church. Several chapels preceded the church of the Annunciation, the entrance of which is marked by a gallery of arcades decorated with paintings. Nearby, a museum is housed in the house of the Father, the oldest part of the abbey. Access by cable car from Locarno.
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