Things to see and do Italian Switzerland

During the celebration of the centenary of Napoleon's Act of Mediation, which established the autonomy of the canton, this square took its current name. The square coincides with the southern access to the medieval city and echoes the Piazza del Sole, which gave access to the city to those arriving from the north. Nowadays, Piazza del Sole has been completely restored by the architect Livio Vacchini. A little further on is another important square: the Piazza della Collegiata called Piazza Grande.

It is the oldest square in the city, the only one whose name is mentioned since the Middle Ages. It was here that the communal well where the inhabitants used to get their supplies and where the town hall is located. The present building from the beginning of the 20th century is reconstructed on the remains of an earlier building, dating from the 14th century, which corresponded to the Copertum comunis. It was here that justice was administered. In the 15th century it was renovated and included the meeting rooms of the local government, the chancellery and the Milanese officers' residence.

The first and only Ticino museum for children, it is also the first external branch of the Musée en herbe de Paris. It offers educational and interactive exhibitions related to the world of art. The whole museography is based on humour and play, which is ideal for getting children interested without them getting bored. There are many workshops proposed either for children alone or in duo with an adult. A nice moment of sharing in anticipation! Count between two and four hours to go around without hurrying.

It is part of the defensive wall of the fortified city between the 13th and 15th centuries. True intact vestiges of the Middle Ages, they bear witness to the military importance of building large protective walls around the towns. Decorated by the architects Mario Campiet Franco Pessina, it is divided into two cells. Fifteenth-century capitals, drawings, sketches and engravings by artists, guns and firearms make up the first part. The second section, known as the archaeological section, contains numerous objects from Ticino. Magnificent!

Each year, the municipal art gallery offers temporary exhibitions to enhance the presentation of its own collection of Swiss and Italian figurative art of the ^19th and ^20th centuries. The collection includes works by ^19th-century artists such as Chiesa, Feragutti and Visconti. The gallery has recently undergone major renovations. The guides are particularly knowledgeable and friendly. You can then take your time to stroll through the lovely park, with its superb cedar trees, which is well worth a visit.

Founded in 1994, it is the Centre d'art contemporain du canton du Tessin (CACT). You can be sure of being at the heart of cultural trends, as the museum's mission is to promote exhibitions on a variety of themes. It also promotes the launch of thematic publications. It puts new artists in touch with each other and participates in collection exchanges within the framework of the Ticino contemporary art museums. The museum is very modern, well organized and pleasant to visit.

Castelgrande is an imposing castle within its walls, classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO like its neighbours. It dominates the city and to get there on foot you will have to climb stairs. But it's worth the effort because the view is superb from up there. Of the three castles that made up the medieval defence system of the city of Bellinzona, Castelgrande is the most imposing and even - the most important in Switzerland! Altered in the 15th century by the engineers of the Milanese Dukes at the same time as the rest of the fortifications, it became the keystone of the powerful wall, almost 500 m long, which then barred the Ticino valley in order to protect the Duchy of Milan and control the road leading to the Gotthard Pass. Between 1980 and 1991, Castelgrande underwent a restoration project led by the architect Aurelio Galfetti, which successfully blended the modern with the old. Today, the castle houses a museum, the History Archaeology and Art History Museum, which tells the story of the town for 6,500 years. To complete the premises, several establishments, including a gastronomic restaurant (40 seats) and a Ticino tavern (40 seats), have taken up residence in the large inner courtyard of the castle. There is also a large panoramic terrace at the foot of the south wing of the castle (80 seats). Also worth a visit with a passo common to all three places: the Castello di Sasso Corbaro and the Castello di Montebello and its archaeological museum.

The valley offers many well-preserved villages and art-historical treasures. There are a myriad of museums and churches, such as the Museo de Blenio in Lottigna and the Cà da Rivöi in Olivone. The valley also boasts a wealth of outdoor activities, with 500 km of hiking trails and numerous mountain bike routes. In winter, beginner skiers and snowboarders can enjoy the Campo Blenio ski area, while winter hiking enthusiasts can take to the groomed paths and snowshoe trails. Val Blenio is also renowned for its herbal cuisine and local specialities.

From their rocky promontory, the churches present an interesting heritage site. On the site of a former medieval castle, the two stone religious buildings have the particularity of possessing an imposing cycle of frescoes dating from the end of the 16th century. The interior of the church is completely covered with an interesting wooden coffered ceiling from 1575. The buildings are an eye-catcher and we recommend that you go and discover their architectural secrets.

This house, which housed an inn in the 15th and 16th centuries and is now the home of the Leventine Museum, has a richly decorated façade with frescoes dating from 1589. The coats of arms of famous people who have stayed there can also be seen. Folk art adorns the museum's exhibits: collections of objects of ordinary life, artistic works, and sacred objects. The simple and hard life of the mountain people is shown in a sincere way. This museum aims to be "ethnographic" and heritage.

This beautiful Romanesque church of Valle Leventina, built in the th century, offers great architectural interest, due to the great perfection of the stone blocks that make it up and artistic, for the few sculptures that adorn it. You will notice, among other things, the two lions that frame its western portal, or the finely crafted capitals representing a fantastic bestiary (lions, heads of ram). The apse contains frescoes carried out by Nicolao da Seregno in 1478.

After two years of renovation work on this imposing 1834 building, once a customs post and inn, the Gotthard National Museum has reopened its doors with a new offering: a permanent exhibition and multimedia show on the Gotthard, retracing the history of this strategic communication route through the Southern Alps, an information point and a restaurant. Another new feature is the presence of the Swiss Alpine Museum, with temporary exhibitions.

The fortress was built between 1886 and 1890 to protect the St Gotthard railway tunnel, which opened in 1885, and to prevent an invasion of the country from the south, at a time when the state of international relations and the Triple Entente were causing concern among the Swiss authorities. The fort, which is buried, is reminiscent of the buried fortifications developed in the 16th century to escape low-lying cannon fire (Salses Castle). It is now used to house recruits. A museum occupying half the site was opened in 1898.

The church of San Carlo is a representative monument of the Lombard Romanesque art of the 11th and 13th centuries. It has the peculiarity of having two apses, built during two distinct construction phases. All alone on its mountain pasture, it gains in majesty, especially since it dominates the surroundings. Its interior is just as remarkable with its numerous frescos. On some of them, we can see characters who seem to be Byzantines.

The house, built in the th century, recognizes the crests of the first Swiss cantons adorning its facade. Inside, collections are varied and interesting, including the collection of arms, as well as those of ethnographic sections and sacred art.

From Miglieglia, count 10 minutes to reach the top.

It's the only zoo in Ticino, with over 100 animals. Spending a day at the zoo gives families the chance to get up close and personal with animals such as lions, kangaroos and snakes, as well as enjoying play areas and picnic areas. Magliaso is renowned for its leisure and discovery facilities. Workshops are organized for children to raise their awareness of the animal world. The zoo tells a "beautiful" story: that of a couple infatuated with a lion cub that was due to be euthanized and whom they "saved" by taking him back to Switzerland.

Housed in a neoclassical building designed by the architect Luigi Fontana, the museum was established in 1985 to present to the public a collection of ethnographic materials relating in particular to traditional economic activities and the social and religious life of the region. The permanent exhibition highlights the rustic civilization, the activities and the moments of the life of the population of Malcantone until the middle of our century: hunting, fishing, agriculture, handicraft and sheep breeding.

This small natural park, which borders the village of Caslano, is a great place to go for a walk. Located on the hill that dominates the town (Monte Caslano protected by the Confederation, 523 m) and surrounded largely by the lake, a didactic path runs approximately around it, equipped with panels describing the fauna and flora of this small corner of nature. With a large number of botanical varieties, 600 plant species and 150 mosses have been identified.

200 million years ago, the region was submerged beneath the waters of the Mediterranean. This small museum illustrates Monte San Giorgio's geological past. Designed by renowned architect Mario Botta, the 4-storey building was inaugurated in 2012. It showcases the extraordinary plant and animal fossils found here from 240 to 180 million years ago (Triassic). A wide variety of marine fossils can also be admired. This completely renovated museum is exciting and interactive: ideal for a visit with children.

Housed in the magnificent setting of the former Servite convent, the museum has a permanent collection of 400 art objects, but it is the temporary exhibitions that are most interesting. The Art Museum offers exhibitions of renowned artists. In recent years, these have been devoted to Klee, Braque, Giacometti, Wotruba and other great local artists. The museum's highlights are the 650 transparencies executed at the end of the 18th century and the collection of works illustrating local life from the 16th to the 20th century.

The complex includes a medieval chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, more precisely to Santa Maria delle Grazie, the convent itself and finally the church of San Giovanni. Of the original convent built in 1477, only the altarpiece remains. In the altar area, you will notice a fresco dating from the 14th century attributed to the group of Giovanni da Milano. Finally, the single nave church is a significant example of the late Baroque. It contains a multitude of sculptures and stucco reliefs as well as numerous frescoes by local artists.

Built from 1723 to 1738, to plans by architect Giovan Pietro Magni, the church boasts numerous works of art: fine^18th-century stucco by Francesco Catenazzi and Giovanni Battista Bagutti; the four paintings by Giovanni Battista Bagutti (1744) in the vault are richly colored. In 1994, the church was restored to its original beauty. It also boasts a beautiful ^16th-century cloister.

This historically and religiously significant baptistery is the oldest surviving Christian monument in Switzerland. It dates from the^5th century, when the first attempts were made to introduce Christianity into the region. It is small and octagonal in shape and contains a rare stone basin from the Middle Ages in which baptisms by immersion were performed. There are also remarkable Romanesque frescoes from the 12th century.

Tenero, located in Switzerland, is an attractive tourist destination with many activities and attractions to offer. For information on the region, visitors can go to the infodesk Tenero & Valle Verzasca, which is also the local tourist office. The infodesk's address is Via alle Brere 3a, 6598 Tenero-Contra.

This building has been altered on several occasions. The chapel on the right seems to have been the choir of a previous construction. Here you can admire the splendid 15th century frescoes by the painter Antonio de Tradate. These rustic scenes, which depict the cycles of peasant life (corresponding to the different months of the year), are preserved in excellent condition. They are the masterpiece of the master. The present building dates from the 17th century and the Roman bell tower has been remodelled to fit in with the Baroque architecture.

In a beautiful 19th century building, one of the first ethnographic museums in the canton is housed. You will find mainly works by local artists in the permanent collection, but also occasional events and exhibitions. You will discover an oil press and a wood-fired oven used at the time. On the two floors, you will find a reconstructed kitchen and a production of espadrilles, reminding us that there was a factory in Intragna.

Formerly privately owned, this beautiful botanical park was taken over by the Canton of Ticino and opened to the public in 1950. Enjoying a subtropical climate, Ticino's only island garden (2.5 ha) is home to 2,000 plant species from the Mediterranean, Asia, South Africa, the Americas and Oceania. The beaches are attractive, but swimming is prohibited! It's a great place to visit, especially for families, with a short boat trip to the island. There's a restaurant, bar and hotel on site, so you can make the most of the place.

Monte Verità, set in the hills overlooking Ascona and Lake Maggiore, has always been a pole of attraction and convergence of ideas, trends, experiments and historic personalities. The alternative and vegetarian colony of the early ^20th century created the myth of Monte Verità, which soon became a meeting place for anarchists, philosophers and intellectuals. The Ascona hill was first home to a sanatorium, then an artists' community around the 1920s, before being purchased by Eduard von der Heydt, a German banker and art collector. It then became a modern hotel resort, welcoming celebrities from the worlds of art, politics and culture. On the Baron's death, it was ceded to the canton of Ticino. Today, it is a multi-purpose institution comprising a cultural and museum center, hotel, restaurant and conference center. The park features Casa Selma, a small air-light hut built in 1904 by the first settlers, and Casa Anatta. The Casa Anatta has been restored as a center for a wide variety of exhibitions on subjects such as utopia and the reform of the soul. The main building houses the exhibition "Monte Verità. Le mammelle della verità" by Harald Szeemann, which presents various aspects of the hill's history. The Padiglione Elisarion in the park houses the painting Chiaro mondo dei beati(Clear World of the Blessed), painted between 1919 and 1929 by Elisar von Kupffer, a painter, poet, historian and playwright from the Baltic nobility.

Housed in a patrician house, it presents temporary exhibitions of modernist artists. In the first half of the twentieth century, many painters chose Ascona as a retreat, thinking they would find inspiration in this place of work. Some of them even settled here and ended up bequeathing some of their works to the town, which led to the creation of a municipal museum such as Paul Klee, Richard Seewald or Italo Valenti...

In a small square in the historical centre of Ascona stands the church of San Pietro e Paolo, dating back to the 16th century. You can admire its beautiful bell tower and its beautiful sundial. This church is famous above all for the paintings it houses, especially the following three paintings : The Coronation of the Virgin, The Sons of Zebedee, The Invitation to Emmaus by the master Giovanni Serodine, a native of the town. Born in the early 17th century, he was a pupil of Caravaggio.

The tourist office will be happy to guide you on a tour of the three castles for which Bellinzona is famous. The Guest Card entitles you to visit Bellinzona's castles, the permanent and temporary exhibitions in the castles and entry to the Villa dei Cedri. The region's must-see attractions are also suggested, including Leventina, the Blenio Valley, Biasca and Riviera. Bellinzona's old town feels provincial, and this is reflected in the local gastronomy. Ask for advice on tasting the local cheese.

The Valmaggia Museum, through its studies and thematic exhibitions, shows the reality of an Alpine valley, its architectural heritage, its traditions and its riches. Note the 17th century gate in the town wall that leads to the building that houses the museum. Do not miss the monumental gate, a portal dating back to the 17th century, placed in the wall of the village, which gives access to a building that houses the museum of Vallemaggia. Visit the various historical places such as the wine press or the grotti.

Perched at an altitude of 1,500 m, this eco-museum, consisting of a group of wooden chalets, preserves the architectural heritage of the region. The wooden houses are typical of the area: the Walserhaus. In this region, the inhabitants speak an ancient Walser dialect, whose origins date back to the Middle Ages. Thanks to this museum, the traditions live on. Architectural elements, such as buildings with larch-beam walls and poplar roofs, are preserved. The museum contains rich objects of Walser tradition.

It contains important Renaissance frescoes and numerous ex-votos by the painter Giovan Antonio Vanoni (1810-1886), a master in the art of depicting scenes of rural life. Dating from 1500, it is one of the oldest in the valley. The Franciscans were responsible for the work and this is reflected in the sober architecture of the building. The beauty of this church is also reflected in the paintings of the 17th and 18th centuries, which remain the most beautiful in the region.

The castle, built between 1575 and 1593, has uncertain origins and part of the building is even said to date from 1342. According to studies, it is Leonardo da Vinci who drew the current plans. The exterior - an outstanding example of Renaissance style - was restored in 1923. It now houses the Archaeological Museum, which contains objects found in the Locarno area from the late Bronze Age through the Roman remains to the early Middle Ages. A section of the museum is dedicated to the history of the Protestant Reformation in Locarno.

The sanctuary is a true masterpiece as much for its architecture and exterior decoration as for the valuable works of art it houses. In the chapels of its side aisles are paintings by illustrious masters, including Raphael's Madonna of the Goldfinch , copied by Romanino. In the chapel on the right in particular, Bramantino's Flight into Egypt, painted in 1522, while in the first chapel on the left, one can admire a Tomb of Antonio Ciseri.

The Pinacoteca Casa Rusca is housed in a restored 18th century building. It was inaugurated in 1987 and houses the city's art collections. It has a total of 4,500 works - paintings, sculptures and graphic arts. Mainly 20th century modernist artists. The collection includes works by Theo Van Doesburg, Alexander Calder... The museum does not have a permanent exhibition and displays its collection in temporary exhibitions. Find out more on their website.

This park is located on the Riviera del Gambarogno, between the small villages of Vairano and Piazzogna. Occupying a small elevation, it owes its creation to the nurseryman Otto Eisenhut who, in an area of 17,000 square metres, has gathered more than 950 species of flowers (camellias, magnolias, azaleas, junipers, exotic firs). It can be reached by car and bus (stop in front of the Gambarogno restaurant; the park is 2 minutes away, just after the bridge).

Switzerland's peaks are unrivalled, with each panorama offering a different breathtaking beauty. At an altitude of 1,340 m, the Cardada offers a magnificent view of Lake Maggiore. At the tourist office, you can take the Orselina cable car (395 m) up to Cardada (1,340 m) in just 5 minutes. After an invigorating walk or a run down the ski slopes, there's nothing like sampling a local delicacy such as cold meats and polenta. Even in summer, this hearty but tasty dish goes down very well.

This information point will guide you in your choice of visits in the Ascona and Locarno area. But before you set off to discover the other towns of Ticino, take time to enjoy a delicious ice cream on the terrace or a delicious fish dish from the lake. Ascona exudes Italian charm. Colors, flavors and above all good humor make it a pleasant place to stay. You'll find good advice on accommodation at the tourist office. And don't forget to ask for the best diving spots on Lake Maggiore.

This 130 m suspension bridge over a gorge more than 100 m deep leads to the Sementina hill with that of Monte Carasso. In an impressive natural setting, crossing the 1 m wide by 270 m long larch wooden footbridge is a unique but completely safe experience.

The site was originally an artillery work dug into the rock. Built in 1943, it was abandoned by the army in 1998 and the Sasso San Gottardo Museum was established there in 2012. The visit allows the visitor to see the remains of the fortification and its tunnels, including a funicular railway, and to explore issues related to climate, meteorology, water management, mobility, housing and energy.

In the vicinity of Lugano, 5 km to the north-east, on the Italian border, you won't miss the small village of Gandria. It is one of the most beautiful villages on the lake and in the canton of Ticino. At the foot of Mount Bré, this picturesque village offers its most beautiful view, like many, from the lake. To visit the village, there is nothing better than getting lost in the narrow streets on foot and admiring the old olive oil press, for example. Two walks are proposed by the tourist office: the "sentier de Gandria" in 1h30 or the "Cantine di Gandria" in 2 hours, ideal in summer