Ticino

The Italian-speaking part of Switzerland south of the Alps, where palms, lakes and stone villages create a distinctive Mediterranean atmosphere.

This region covers the whole canton of Ticino, Switzerland’s only predominantly Italian-speaking canton (the Italian-speaking valleys of southern Graubünden belong to the Graubünden region). To the north it connects via the St Gotthard Pass with Uri (Central Switzerland); to the northwest a mountain ridge separates it from Valais; to the east it borders Graubünden; and to the south it borders Lombardy and Piedmont in Italy.

Highlights: the Old Town of Lugano on Lake Lugano, Monte San Salvatore and Monte Brè, and the lakeside villages of Gandria and Morcote; Locarno and Ascona on the north shore of Lake Maggiore, and the botanical garden on the Brissago Islands in the lake; the three castles of the capital Bellinzona, a UNESCO World Heritage site; the emerald waters and double-arched stone bridge of the Verzasca Valley, and the stone-house villages of the Maggia Valley; and Monte San Giorgio, a fossil site that is also a World Heritage site.

Classic itinerary: 2 days in Lugano, 1–2 days for Locarno/Ascona and the Verzasca Valley, and half a day in Bellinzona, for 4–5 days in total; you can travel south from Lucerne on the Wilhelm Tell Express (boat plus train), or arrive from St. Moritz by taking the Bernina Express plus a bus.

Getting there: via the Gotthard Base Tunnel, Zurich to Lugano takes about 2 hours by train, and Milan Malpensa Airport is also close; guests staying locally receive the Ticino Ticket for free public transport.

Note: The rivers in the valleys run fast and the water is cold, so be careful when swimming; in summer there are many visitors and accommodation is tight on weekends.

Destinations

Itineraries