Wildlife watching in Ticino

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.

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.

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 name "Red Church" is attributed to the facade in the front, which differs from the rest of the edifice.

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

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.

Who would have thought that winter sports are also practiced in Ascona? In the Mediterranean ambience surrounded by palm trees, curling, ice hockey, figure skating, skating for all, skateboarding, inline skating are practiced.

Beech is the most important tree species in Central Europe and is characterised by its ability to adapt to different climatic and geographical conditions. However, human intervention has put great pressure on the ancient, primordial beech forests, of which only a few vestiges remain.

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.

The St. Gotthard Pass is one of the most legendary Alpine crossings. Drive through historic switchbacks, visit a museum full of history and immerse yourself in a landscape between rocks and mountain lakes.

Christmas markets, light shows, an enchanted forest and happy faces everywhere: Christmas time in Lugano is festive, lively and full of enjoyment.

Hike in the Mendrisiotto through the vineyards of Ticino. Three themed trails lead you through the vineyard landscape around Mendrisio with 30 information boards – and show you how Merlot and wine culture shape this region.

Ice skating and ice hockey games in the well-known Verzasca Valley. Otherwise known for its emerald-green river, the valley is ideal for winter sports thanks to its artificial ice rink.

The church, which was originally part of a Franciscan monastery, is home to Switzerland's most famous Renaissance fresco. It covers the whole wall of the nave. The "Passion and and Crucifixion of Christ" is defined by great expressiveness and vividness of the individual scenes.

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.

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.