Lugano
If you're going to blow the budget, do it in boutique style at this new five-star design hotel in Lugano-Paradiso. The lake views from its 18 suites are astounding and the decor is super-slick, with polished teak, leather and floor-to-ceiling glass. A spa, gourmet restaurant and free e-bike and smart car use are other luxuries that come with the price tag.
Bus 431 from Lugano train station stops at Paradiso nearby.
14.63 MILES
Rising dramatically above the Old Town, this medieval stronghold is Bellinzona’s most visible icon. Head up Salita San Michele from Piazza Collegiata, or…
14.55 MILES
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…
12.19 MILES
A 1km walk along the (partially wooded) lake shore from Lenno's main square, Villa Balbianello has cinematic pedigree: this was where scenes from Star…
13.55 MILES
The star of the show on a lake shore not bereft of elegant touches, the Villa Carlotta is a fabulous fusion of neoclassical architecture and harmonious…
Santuario della Madonna del Sasso
15.04 MILES
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…
14.39 MILES
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…
13.67 MILES
Como’s awesome marble-clad cathedral is one of the most important buildings on the lake, incorporating a variety of styles – Romanesque, Renaissance and…
11.28 MILES
This elegant 18th-century villa on the banks of Lake Como was once home to composer Vincenzo Bellini is now an award-winning luxury hotel.
0.74 MILES
Lugano's very own Sugarloaf Mountain, the 912m peak of Monte San Salvatore has riveting 360-degree views over Lago di Lugano and southern Ticino to the…
2. Museo d'Arte della Svizzera Italiana
0.89 MILES
The showpiece of Lugano's striking new LAC cultural centre, the MASI zooms in predominantly on 20th-century and contemporary art – from the abstract to…
3. Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angioli
0.92 MILES
This simple Romanesque church contains two frescos by Bernardino Luini dating from 1529. Covering the entire wall that divides the church in two is a…
1.12 MILES
Porticoed lanes weave around Lugano's busy main square, which is presided over by the 1844 neoclassical Municipio (town hall) and is even more lively when…
1.18 MILES
The 12-storey casino, converted by Lugano’s favourite architect, Mario Botta, into Europe’s biggest in 2005, does a brisk business. Smart dress is…
1.21 MILES
Lugano’s early-16th-century cathedral conceals some fine frescos and ornate baroque statues behind its Renaissance facade. Out the front are far-reaching…
1.24 MILES
This lakefront promenade necklaces the shore of glassy Lago di Lugano, set against a backdrop of rugged mountains. Notice the distinctive profiles of cone…
1.31 MILES
Like an abstract work of art, a cherry tree graces the roof of this pink-brick, cubic edifice, the handiwork of much-lauded Ticinese architect Mario Botta.