Experiences in Ticino

Lake Maggiore extends from the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland far into the Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy. Thanks to its mild climate, there is lush, Mediterranean vegetation along its shores. In the hinterland is a wild and romantic mountain landscape with breathtaking views.

More than 100 animals from all over the world are at home in the Zoo al Maglio to marvel at. These include lions, panthers, snow leopards, serval, the Bennett wallaby, gibbons, macaques and capuchin monkeys as well as parrots.

Experience the special atmosphere of a restaurant combined with one of the largest indoor miniature golf courses in Switzerland, set in a landscape of subtropical plants.

The Muggio Valley was once very nearly abandoned, but precisely because the locals place importance on their past, it now lives on into the future as an open-air museum.

The San Michele Park sits high above Lugano and offers spectacular views of the city, the lake and the mountains. The typically southern vegetation is sure to thrill many of its visitors too.

The idyllic Brissago Islands lie off the western shore of the upper part of Lake Maggiore. The larger island delights visitors with its unique botanical gardens and splendid manor house. On the Isola Piccola are the ruins of the medieval church of Sant'Apollinare.

The park surrounding the Villa dei Cedri, which today is home to the Municipal Museum for Modern and Contemporary Art, is a living example of an English-style park of the 19th century. A further attraction is the vineyard behind the villa, whose grapes are used to produce the popular Merlot.

The ruins of the old Craveggia baths are easy to reach on foot from Spruga, though you will have to wade across the Isorno because the spa is located on Italian soil on the other side of the river.

The sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso in Orselina above Locarno is the most famous place of pilgrimage in the Italian part of Switzerland. It is rooted in the ancient tradition of votive gifts.

Located between Monte San Salvatore and Monte Arbostora at an altitude of just under 700 metres, the botanical gardens are a mecca for park visitors and plant lovers – particularly in April and May, when the azaleas and rhododendrons form a fragrant carpet.

This magnificent botanical garden is set on the Gambarogno side of Lago Maggiore, on the hillside terrace between Piazzogna and Vairano. Here, the Parco Botanico del Gambarogno foundation lavishes endless love and skill on the over 17,000 square metres of gorgeously colourful plants.

Just a 15-minute walk from Ascona rises the 321 metre tall Monte Verità. The panoramic view of the village and the Lago Maggiore is fantastic – just like the story of the eccentrics from around the world who established an early hippy colony here in 1900. This spirit can still be seen today in the hotel, in the museum – and while strolling through the park.

Suspension Rope Park at the middle station of the Monte Tamaro. A fascinating acrobatic course situated in a hundred-year-old beech forest.

This wellness complex is both a place for coming together and a place of rest and relaxation. The complex is known in particular for its unique lakeside location as well as its architecture.

The lowest and highest points in Switzerland at a glance: Lake Maggiore to the south and the Valais Alps with the Dufourspitze to the west. All just five minutes from the city of Locarno. This is the Cardada mountain.

One pass, six museums. The Ascona-Locarno region is a cultural hot spot.

At Lake Lugano, it is wonderfully easy to escape one’s daily routine: by enjoying a sunbath below palm trees, cruises on the lake or hiking tours through magnificent landscapes.

A trip to the Breggia Gorges is a real time travelling experience. In this part of the Mendrisiotto along the Breggia River you will find some unusual geological formations.