The most beautiful places in Switzerland

With Swiss tranquility and Italian charm, Lake Lugano welcomed us with a sunny smile and crystal clear waters. Located on the border between Switzerland and Italy, it is one of the sunniest places in Switzerland with over 2,300 hours of sunshine a year, compared to Zurich, where they barely reach 1,700 hours.

We got to Lugano by direct bus from Milan Malpensa Airport, and the journey took a little more than 1 hour. We checked into the Lugano Center Guest House, which has a central location and cozy rooms with private bathrooms and a kitchenette, which is invaluable when preparing baby food. We traveled with a baby who had just turned 1 year old.  We had chosen Lugano as a wonderful place for walking and pushing a stroller, escaping from Sofia, whose sidewalks are cracked, high and unsuitable for this.

The promenade of Lugano is really pleasant for a walk, there are many fountains, shady places and an abundance of flowers. It’s a pity that cars were constantly moving on the other side, but the view of the lake and the opposite hill inspired tranquility. At the end of the promenade you entered a wonderful shady park, which we visited daily and played on the wonderful playground.

Like Lake Geneva, there was a large water jet pouring water into the lake at a high altitude. A boat trip around the lake is something not to be missed. There are many boats with different routes, showing the beautiful shores of the lake.

For tourists who do not want to move along the established routes, can take a pedal boat and explore the shores of Lugano on their own. However, we were with a small child and preferred a quiet boat trip, choosing the “classic route” with a visit to the town of Gandria. Gandria is a very romantic place, the houses are perched on a high hill, which, however, did not invite us to go down with the baby carriage, but we showered the district with many photos from the water. 

The park we visited daily was called Parco Ciani, and it was nicknamed the “green heart of the city”. It was on the promenade and covered an area of 63,000 sq.m. There were large green areas for picnics, huge trees giving shade, a wonderful playground and all this strewn with thousands of flowers.

Another picturesque place to walk is the hills around Lugano, easily accessible by funicular train, and there are 3 of them in the city. We boarded the most easily accessible Sassellina or also known as Funicolare Lugano Citta-Stazione, whose starting stop is at the station itself in the historic center, and from the top there are wonderful views of the lake and the city. The other two funiculars are Monte Bre funicular and Monte San Salvatore. All three routes are described as the most picturesque and beautiful, and if you have the opportunity – visit them.

Undoubtedly, the culmination of our trip was a visit to the Swissminiatur park, in the neighboring town of Melide, which we reached in 4 minutes by train, another option is by boat but it takes more time. Here we looked at the entire colorful Swiss landscape – everything presented to the last detail – the mountains with snow, the lifts, the ports, the sailing ships, the caves, the historical buildings and much more. There is also a wonderful children’s train that goes around the park, and outside it – a wonderful playground. Whether you are with children or not, the wonderful alleys strewn with palm trees here will impress you and will charge you with a good mood.

At one time, Lake Lugano was called Ceresio (from the Latin word for cherries), because of the many cherry plantations. Since 1189 it has been renamed Lugano, most likely from the Latin word lakvannus “lake-dweller”. Today it is a wonderful place, both to live and to visit. The main town, bearing the same name, is located on the shore of the lake and offers palm trees, picturesque boulevards and spectacular views of the lake and the Alps. Lugano is not only one of the sunniest Swiss places, but also one of the most picturesque tourist destinations adapted for all ages.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT LUGANO:

Location: Lugano is a resort town in southeastern Switzerland, located on the northern shore of Lake Lugano and about 10 km west of the border with Italy.
Area: 75.93 sq.km
Altitude: 275 m
Population:  56,889 (2008 data)
Official language: Switzerland has 4 official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Near Lake Lugano, they speak mostly Italian.
Climate: Lugano is among the warmest places in Switzerland, with the rare temperate humid subtropical climate for these latitudes. The warmest month is July with an average temperature of 23C, and the coldest is January with an average temperature of 3C.
Time zone: UTC+1
Currency: Swiss Franc (CHF)
Additional information: http://www.lugano.ch

TRIP TIPS FOR LUGANO: