Sign in with Facebook"Lugano - a day trip to Ticino" Top 5 Page for this destination Lugano by ettiewyn
Lugano Travel Guide: 390 reviews and 1,036 photos
It was due to my mom that we went to Lugano - I must admit that I had never heard of this city, nor had I any plans to do a day trip to Switzerland during our trip to Milan. However, while I talked to her about the day trip to Lago Maggiore that I was proposing, she suddenly mentioned Lugano and that she had once read a novel taking place there, and had dreamed about going there ever since. I quickly checked the options of going to Lugano from Milan, and when I saw that it was so easy, I at once decided that we would go there and that I would make my mom's dream come true. When I told her, she was really surprised, and we looked forward to the trip very much.
Lugano is located in the canton of Ticino and on the shores of Lago di Lugano, which was named after the city. I was surprised to read that Lugano is the third-biggest financial centre of Switzerland, the eighth-biggest city by area and ninth-biggest city by inhabitants. While we visited, it rather seemed like a small and tranquil town to me, but obviously that impression was a little deceiving! And of course I mean "tranquil" apart from the tourists. We visited on a warm and sunny sunday, and while there were not many people during the first half of the day, it became very crowded in the afternoon. There were literally hordes of tourists and locals wandering about, but although I usually don't like to be among so many people, it did not really disturb me in Lugano - maybe because the big lake and the massive mountains around still give a sense of space and freedom.
The lake and the mountains make Lugano a special and beautiful place. There are three particular mountains surrounding it: Monte Brè, Monte San Salvatore and Sighignola. There are cable cars going to the top and these must provide spectacular views, but being only on a day trip, and because my mom is afraid of cable cars, we skipped this. As it was such a sunny day and we wanted to enjoy the beautiful scenery, we neither visited any of the museums the city has to offer. Instead we wandered around the centre and the lakefront, visited a handful of churches, and then just enjoyed the beautiful Parco Civico and the amazing landscape of this region.
- Pros:Fantastic and stunning scenery, great churches
- Cons:Very expensive and crowded in high season
- In a nutshell:I a happy that I have now seen some of the beautiful Ticino myself!
Reviews (18)
Piazza Cioccaro
Things to Do
(10)
Piazza Cioccaro is only a very small piazza, and it is clearly in the shadow of Piazza Riforma, but I preferred this... more travel advice
Santa Maria degli Angioli
Things to Do
(10)
Santa Maria degli Angioli is Lugano's most famous church, and the one closest to the lake. From the outside, it looks... more travel advice
Lago di Lugano
Things to Do
(10)
Of course the lake is what makes Lugano. It is such a beautiful lake, dramatically surrounded by the mountains, and with... more travel advice
Delicious sorbet!
Restaurants
(1)
In Parco Civico, close to the lakefront, there was a small stall selling coffee and other drinks. My mom wanted one, so... more travel advice
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Comments (4)
Lovely little page about your day trip to Lugano. Yes, when visiting Switzerland it always makes sense to have some Swiss Francs available. It is more or less the same with every other country with a different currency. - I really enjoyed reading your Burger King / Mc Donalds story.
Hi Holger, thank you for visiting this page :-) Yes, if I ever do such a day trip again, I will make sure I have some Francs with me!
First, I must say that your main pic is absolutely beautiful. It's amazing what a little bit of color does for a picture. Now, aren't you glad you went to Lugano. Looks like you had a nice time with your Mom and you made her dream come true.
Thanks a lot, Lori! So glad you like the main picture, and yes, we had a great day in Lugano :-)
Hi Mirjam, I like your new Lugano page. My one visit there was many years ago, but we mainly went hiking up in the hills nearby, so we didn’t see much of the town. Among other places we went to Montagnola, where Hermann Hesse used to live. He had already died by that time, but there was still a sign painted on the front wall of his house: Bitte keine Besuche.
Hi Don, thank you for visiting this page and for your nice comment! Hiking in the area and visiting Montagnola sound like great activities to do. I wonder if that sign is still there today!
I couldn't imagine that there were so many places to visit there; I should "re-go" there!
So you have been to Lugano as well??
Some time ago ('02)