Tourist Attractions & Monuments Switzerland

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.

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.

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.

One of the first buildings built by the famous artist Le Corbusier in his home town in 1917. It was commissioned by Mr. Schwob, a wealthy watchmaker in the city, who did not honour the invoice, which had been exceeded. As a result of this misadventure, the famous architect left the city. The Turkish Villa, in a very refined and daring Moorish style for its time, with a very elaborate interior decoration, was bought by the watchmaking company Ebel.

To find out all you need to know about this special region, the cradle of the watchmaking industry, visit the tourist office. There's plenty to discover in this UNESCO World Heritage city. Renowned for its Art Nouveau, Le Corbusier's birthplace and the city of watchmaking, La Chaux-de-Fonds is a destination in itself. Treasure hunts, guided tours, museums - you name it, we've got it.

In a building built in 1923-1926, the works of famous artists come alive. The architecture of the building is a fine example of Art Deco inspired by the architect René Chapallaz and the artist Charles L'Eplattenier, teacher of the future Le Corbusier at the city's art school. You will be able to admire a very fine collection of Swiss and international art from the 19th and 20th centuries, bequeathed by Mrs. Junod, including some great names of artists: Matisse, Derain, Le Corbusier of course. The 19th century is represented by Van Gogh, Pissarro..

Housed in a 19th century bourgeois villa, a stone's throw from the International Watchmaking Museum and the Fine Arts Museum, the History Museum has a new museography. The permanent exhibition retraces the history of the watchmaking city, which was the birthplace of Le Corbusier, in a chronological and thematic way. In the course of a richly documented tour, visitors follow in the footsteps of the men, women and historical events that have contributed to shaping the identity of the watchmaking city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A magical 1h25 cruise on this natural lake which is in fact a widening of the Doubs. The waterfall of the "Saut du Doubs", 27 m high, is spectacular! You might be tempted by a Franco-Swiss day out with a horse-drawn carriage ride and a boat trip after seeing the beautiful natural spectacle. There are different ways to discover the enchanted river during the summer, either by opting for a loop cruise or by taxi boat with a stop at the Doubs jump. In winter, the lake is transformed into a huge natural ice rink

Close to the main square, the Musée des Beaux-Arts welcomes you with its fine regional pieces from the ^19th and ^20th centuries, as well as works by major artists such as Dufy and Renoir. The museum's collections boast over five thousand pieces, including numerous paintings, watercolors and drawings. Emphasis is placed on Swiss artists, but exhibitions of high-quality international works are programmed throughout the year. Lectures and guided tours punctuate the museum's agenda, bringing the works to life through the eyes of passionate visitors.

The Villa Favre-Jacot was the first large-scale commission for Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, the future Le Corbusier, in this neighborhood of the upper middle class, with its neoclassical influence. The building cannot be visited, but remains visible from the outside. It bears witness to Le Corbusier's architectural values, with its interplay of forms, its white, smooth facades that stand out from the era, and its entablature windows... A revolutionary who is recognized as a precursor of model architecture, optimized for its environment.

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.

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.