Things to see and do Italian Switzerland

The region of Lake Lugano is rich in discovery. The tourist office will guide you in your visits and for practical information. The region is ideal for a variety of experiences. Don't miss wine tasting, mountain biking or discovering the rich cultural heritage of old villages and museums. If you stay in the Lugano area, the Holiday Card issued by the hotel will allow you to get discounts on activities.

The relatively new Lugano Cultural Center - LAC is dedicated to the visual and performing arts, as well as to music. Facing the lake, in a highly contemporary architectural style that cannot be missed (volume of 180,000^m3), the complex is spread over three floors and boasts a huge hall, an avant-garde auditorium and a museum space. It is home to the Museo d'Arte della Svizzera Italiana, which focuses on modern and contemporary art.

This is a new museum born from the merger of the Museum of Modern Art of Lugano and the Cantonal Museum of Art of the city. Part of the museum is on the new site of the LAC - Lugano Arte Cultura. It houses the permanent collection (free of charge) which includes notable works by artists. But also temporary exhibitions enlighten visitors about international modernist and contemporary artists. The other part of the museum is housed in the Palazzo Reali.

The Bellinzona fortress has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. The Bellinzona fortified complex, comprising three castles with their surrounding walls and a great wall, is an extraordinary example of a late medieval defensive structure, located at a key strategic point for crossing the Alps. "Dream of a fortress unique in Europe" is the slogan chosen to accompany the fortress in an ongoing process of content renewal. As for the Villa dei Cedri, which houses the museum, the exhibition tells the story of modern life between the ^19th and ^20th centuries. Situated in the south-east of the municipality of Bellinzona, in an area known as "the Nice of Bellinzona" due to its particularly sunny location, it is surrounded by a park of century-old trees overlooking the square of the former church of San Biagio. The building is the result of a Palladian transformation, circa 1920, of the original neoclassical building dating from 1860. A museum of modern and contemporary art since 1985, Villa dei Cedri hosts two to three temporary exhibitions a year, focusing on art from the ^19th to ^21st centuries, with a particular emphasis on works on paper. Nature is also a theme strongly anchored in the identity of the Villa dei Cedri museum, not least because of its location, once surrounded by farmland and now immersed in the greenery of a historic park.

Considered one of the most beautiful gardens in the country, this 6-hectare park, the green lung of Lugano on the shores of the lake, is one of the most amazing places in the gulf, with English lawns, palm trees, magnolias and camellias, flower beds and statues. It is home to the historic Villa Ciani, the Palazzo dei Congressi, the pier and the cantonal library. Walking in the park you can enjoy a beautiful view of Lugano and the surrounding mountains: Mount Bre, Mount San Salvatore, but also the town of Campione d'Italia.

The brainchild of textile merchant and eccentric traveler Arthur Scherrer (1818-1956), this astonishing park brings together statues and other objets d'art from all over the world, amid lush, exotic vegetation. It's all very romantic. The stroll and the benches where you can rest among the various plants are very pleasant: palms, camellias, wisteria, oleanders, cedars, cypresses, camphor trees and eucalyptus... with a superb view at times of Lake Lugano below. Bonus: why not come by boat from Lugano?

This church and the chapel that accompanies it are installed on a panoramic terrace overlooking Morcote. It can be reached by a long staircase (sporty climb!). The interior presents frescos dating from the Renaissance, but partly hidden by an organ, moreover remarkable (17th century), and others, from the 18th century, also painted on the case of this organ.A few more steps and you reach the cemetery from where the view is particularly splendid.

In an unusual location, a former pasta factory, lies a museum like no other. Model train enthusiasts will be in for a treat: miniature trains, fully digitally controlled models, electric trains and the latest from the manufacturers. Over a surface area of 2,320^m2 and three floors, the equivalent of 2,500 m of track is on display, featuring 3,000 models from the GB collection and numerous private collections. From Napoleonic trains to military armor, model railroading is the main focus of the museum. Well organized and warmly welcomed.

The largest miniature park in Switzerland, this amusement park is set in a vast park where the most picturesque sites in Switzerland are recreated: its towns, its monuments (castles and cathedrals taking the lion's share) and its means of communication. All this, of course, on a scale 25 times smaller than normal. The effect is truly surprising and highly successful. The reconstructed Swiss railroad network alone stretches 3,650 m in length. A must-see for kids! On-site restaurant.

The chocolate museum of the Alprose chocolate company, whose origins date back to 1957, presents the wonderful world of chocolate from its origins to the present day. You're immersed in the heart of chocolate! In addition to its valuable didactic role, the museum helps to affirm the tradition of Swiss chocolate. At the very heart of the Alprose factory, from the top of a footbridge, you can observe the different phases of chocolate production: from the liquefaction of cocoa to the packaging of the finished product.

A German poet, poet and painter, Hermann Hesse adopted Swiss citizenship in 1924 and lived in Montagnola until his death in 1962. The light of the Collina d'Oro fascinated the artist. Many celebrities (including Theodore Heuss, Thomas Mann and Bertolt Brecht) came to Montagnola to Visit him. The museum retains valuable testimonies of the last 43 years of Hermann Hesse, including books in the garden. The Balisé d'Oro can be admired along the marked route «On the steps of Hermann Hesse».

Perched 230 metres above sea level on a rocky outcrop, this ducal fortress is part of the city's fortified enclosure, classified by Unesco as a World Heritage site (year 2000) along with the Castelgrande and Montebello castles. Its name derives from its position, on top of a rock, like the feathers of a raven - in the Corbatt dialect. It is typical of the Sforza family, with a quadrangular tower, a keep and impressive walls 4.70 m thick. It was built in 1479 by Benedetto Ferrini, a military engineer from Florence, but he died of the plague before seeing it completed. In fact, it's the only one of the three castles with a precise construction date! It was built in just over six months, to complete the defensive line and block the road to Milan for the Confederates. The Emma Poglia room inside the castle is particularly opulent and refined, in a Baroque and Nordic style, all in solid walnut. It dates back to the ^17th century. This room was also used as a "stüva", or heating room, as evidenced by the room's stone stove, which bears the family coat of arms. Don't miss the view over the city from the castle's Belvedere, which houses temporary exhibitions. In winter, the château is closed, but the exterior and interior courtyards are open to visitors. Please note: the restoration work carried out between 2004 and 2006 has enabled the surrounding network of paths to be redeveloped with respect for nature.

Huge park (21,000^m2) with many activities: games for children, fenced area with animals, paths to the Enderlin Tower, named after the family of the former owner of the park. The Tassino park also offers a magnificent panoramic view. Thanks to its sunny position, the flora is particularly abundant: roses, magnolias, wisteria... In summer, people come here to settle down and take advantage of the sun to take a break. The plus: if you travel with your pet, the park has a fenced area reserved for dogs.

This^17th-century building features^18th-century frescoes and stuccowork. Its bell tower is particularly beautiful, and the view of the lake from its esplanade is sublime. The church is on the way to Monte Brè, Lugano's famous peak. There's something southern about its architecture, with its campanile and ashlar facades. The beautiful staircase leading up to it gives it the air of a fine aristocratic residence. The village is also very charming, with many lovely walks to choose from.

Opened in 1989, this museum permanently exhibits the famous Brignoni-Aramis donation. Serge Brignoni (1903-2002) was a Swiss Italian artist - painter and sculptor - who decided in 1985 to bequeath his collection to the city of Lugano. Since then, supplemented by other donations, inside this museum we discover a rich collection of objects of ethnological, historical and artistic interest from Oceania (Melanesia, Polynesia), Indonesia (Kalimatam, Bali...) and Africa (Ibo, Senufo...). Regular temporary exhibitions.

This small chapel is located between the church of Santa Maria del Sasso and the village of Morcote. This small building dating back to the late Middle Ages is worth visiting for the surprising paintings on its south wall: about twenty souls, represented as completely naked men, are trapped in a net (the Purgatory) and try to get out; those who manage to free themselves are saved by angels. Those who manage to free themselves are saved by the angels, while the others are dragged along by the demons.

At an altitude of 690 m, overlooking the village, this 60,000 m² jewel invites visitors to discover it on foot. The rhododendrons and azaleas in bloom and the wide variety of plants will enchant any garden lover and keep them coming back for more. On site, five themed trails (botanical, panoramic, relaxing, artistic and fairy-tale) and a sensory trail await your escape. For the kids, there's a playground to keep them busy and entertained. Take your time, stroll around and enjoy... And good news: admission is free!

This well-preserved Baroque church, set slightly off-center in a small wood above Carona, is one of the finest examples of Baroque decorative art. Built in the ^17th century on top of a small chapel dating from 1515, the church boasts several attractive exterior arcades. It houses frescoes by Giuseppe Antonio Petrini (1667-1759) and sculptures by Alessandro Casella dating from 1646. A shaded Way of the Cross leads to the church.

The church is located at the entrance of Campione coming from Bissone. It is believed to have been founded in the 9th and 10th centuries. Its monumental staircase with double intertwined banisters descends majestically from the entrance porch to the lake. The church has a wonderful fresco on the south wall of its nave, painted by Lanfranco and Filippolo De Veris in 1400, depicting the Last Judgment. There are also other paintings, including those by Campione Isidoro Bianchi (1602-1662).

This church dates back to the end of the th century. This was mentioned for the first time in 1480. The interior shared by a large lateral wall, according to the Franciscan usage, is an exquisite inspiration. It is painted entirely by a fresco where it can be noted that Renaissance refinement leaves free reign to an ornamental sincerity invaded by grace. In its centre is the Crucifixion, and around fifteen paintings expressing the life of Christ.