The busy streets of the Old Town, the vast lake and the Mediterranean plant life in the area: The city of Lugano, where visitors often make unexpected discoveries. 

Lugano is increasingly becoming a city of culture. Perhaps nobody knows this better than photographer Riccardo Comi. He takes us on a photographic journey through the cultural and architectural highlights of the city. The tour starts in the cultural heart of the city in the south, the LAC. This is where Lugano proves its cultural prowess. 

Lugano has had its cultural centre since 2015. The centre combines the best that the city of Lugano has to offer and occupies a prime location on the Gulf of Lugano with a view of the local mountains San Salvatore and Monte Bré. The striking building designed by Ticino architect Ivano Gianola forms an exciting contrast to its prominent neighbour from the 16th century, the Santa Maria degli Angioli church. The vast glass façades of the LAC offer enormous potential for cultural activities in southern Switzerland.

For example, the Museo d'arte della Svizzera italiana (MASI) has found a new home in the LAC. Emerging from the art museums of the canton of Ticino and the city of Lugano, the MASI forms a cultural junction between the south and the north of the Alps, the Italian and German areas of Switzerland and Latin and Germanic Europe. The MASI is equally at home in the LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura and in the Palazzo Reali. The artistic scene wouldn't be complete without the Collezione Giancarlo e Danna Olgiati, which is entirely dedicated to contemporary art.

History and modernity go hand in hand at the LAC. For example, visitors to the Church of Santa Maria degli Angioli right next to the LAC can experience the site using the latest technology. The augmented reality technology merges new and old worlds together in a particularly charming way. These advances were all made possible thanks to the Archivio storico della Città di Lugano historical archive. 

Old and new also go hand-in-hand at the train station, where visitors will discover digital art displayed on interactive systems. Man and machines come together in the Besso Tunnel. The tunnel is a sight not to be missed. Known as NeuralRope#1, artists and scientists have created a work that combines artistic and scientific content and stops the pedestrians in their tracks as they make their way through the tunnel below the train station. NeuralRope#1 is a joint project by Luca Gambardella, Alex Dorici and the Lugano Living Lab. 

After so much scenery, your stomach might start to rumble. The Biblio Café TRA l’Altro is a great place to switch off and recharge. This oasis in the heart of the city boasts a relaxed atmosphere and secluded garden. Riccardo Comi likes to take a break here, meet the locals or contemplate his work. Villa Saroli park is also an ideal stop-off point. Everyday stresses are immediately forgotten in the shade of the ancient trees. And yet, art is always just a stone's throw away. New exhibitions are constantly mounted in a light-flooded space in the villa. Villa Saroli is also the seat of the Istituto internazionale di architettura i2a, a think tank for architecture and culture.

You don’t always have to pay to enjoy art in Lugano, as there numerous pieces on display to the public, as well as architectural highlights. The university's western campus, for example, is particularly striking. Urban art also adorns the streets and houses in many districts. Oversized images on house façades and smaller graffiti make the city even more colorful and lively.