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Ticino

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Two women singing and playing guitar in Bedigliora’s church.

Andrew Montgomery

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Overview

The summer air is rich and hot in Ticino. Vespas scoot along palm-fringed promenades. A baroque campanile chimes. Kids play in piazzas flanked by pastel-coloured mansions. Italian weather. Italian style. And that’s not to mention the Italian gelato, Italian pasta, Italian architecture, Italian language.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Bellinzona, Switzerland: a tower at Castelgrande with blue sky. 565916194 aged, alps, ancient, architecture, bellinzona, building, castle, church, city, culture, defense, europe, exterior, fort, fortress, hill, historic, historical, history, house, landmark, medieval, monument, mountain, old, outdoor, rock, ruins, stone, swiss, switzerland, ticino, tourism, tourist, tower, town, travel, urban, wall

    Castelgrande

    Ticino

    Rising dramatically above the Old Town, this medieval stronghold is Bellinzona’s most visible icon. Head up Salita San Michele from Piazza Collegiata, or…

  • Montebello Castle in Bellinzona, Switzerland.

    Castello di Montebello

    Ticino

    On cloudless days, you can see Lake Maggiore from this 13th-century hilltop fortification. The fortress is one of Bellinzona’s most impressive with its…

  • Santuario della Madonna del Sasso

    Santuario della Madonna del Sasso

    Locarno

    Overlooking the town, this sanctuary was built after the Virgin Mary supposedly appeared in a vision to a monk, Bartolomeo d’Ivrea, in 1480. There’s a…

  • Castello di Sasso Corbaro

    Castello di Sasso Corbaro

    Ticino

    From central Bellinzona, it’s a 3.5km hike south to the Castello di Sasso Corbaro. Perched high on a wooded hillside, the castle has an austere beauty…

  • Castello Visconteo in Locarno, Switzerland.

    Castello Visconteo

    Locarno

    Named after the Visconti clan that long ruled Milan, this fortified 15th-century castle’s nucleus was raised around the 10th century. It now houses a…

  • The village of Foroglio in Bavona valley, Switzerland.

    Val Bavona

    Ticino

    A smooth road follows a mountain stream through this valley, where narrow meadows are cradled between steep rocky walls. Its tightly huddled stone and…

  • Corippo

    Corippo

    Ticino

    Blink and you'll almost certainly miss this pint-sized hamlet, which looks as though it would topple down the terraced hillside with the slightest puff of…

  • Village of Cevio

    Cevio

    Ticino

    The centrepiece of Cevio is its vibrant 16th-century Pretorio (magistrate’s court), covered in the family coats-of-arms of many of the area’s rulers,…

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