Municipality in Ticino, Switzerland
Photo: Sir James, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Locarno is a city at the northern end of Lake Maggiore in Switzerland. The city, along with Venice and Cannes, hosts an international film festival, the third oldest important cinema festival in the world.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
A heart of the city centre and the major shopping area.
Old town
Visconti Castle
A castle which today serves as Municipal and Archaeological Museum.
Casa Rusca Gallery
There is a Swiss ferry that travels between Locarno and several destinations within Switzerland and an Italian ferry that also connects Locarno with places on the Italian side of Lago Maggiore.
Take a historical funicular up to the old monastery of the Santuario della Madonna del Sasso and cable car station, from where you can take the cable car above the town to approx 1,600 m and then a chair lift to near the top of Monte Cardada and walk a bit further up to get to its summit or walk back down into the town via the monastery and a stone pathway (about 30 minutes to walk down). The views from the summit are extraordinary.
In July attracts international acts.
Fish specialties and pizza.
With a name like this, you might not expect much, but then you'd be surprised: they make delicious döner panini, etc. from high-quality ingredients and use an excellent house-made hot sauce.
Indian vegetarian.
Breakfast / tea time.
Traditional.
Pizza, icecream.
Pizza, pasta, and more.
Original, good quality/price ratio, operated by a foundation.
Free entry, house music.
Free entry.
Free entry.
Free entry.
Aperitifs lounge music.
Disco in Riazzino, expensive, good house music.
Family-friendly campsite at the shore of Lake Maggiore. Reservation possible.
Budget travellers hostel, single and multi person rooms, clean and modern.
Bed-and-breakfast-style pensione; beautiful breakfast terrace with views of the lake; wonderful innkeeper Irmgard Balbina, very helpful.
Beautiful historical building. From double rooms to 6 bed flats, well suited for families. Lift, free WLAN, bike rental outlet are all there.
This hotel offers children programs.
Great location, although some travellers complain of the noise at night.
Three star hotel. Small, on the south hill of Locarno, 2km from the city center and from the railway station. Double room from Fr. 240 (season of April 2009).
By train
By plane
Fly to Lugano Airport, then take the bus to Lugano and the train to Locarno.
On foot
Most of the city can be explored on foot. The Main Square Piazza Grande is walking distance from Main Railway station. Old Town of Locarno is behind Piazza Grande.
Ticino Discovery Card
With this card you get access to all major tourist attractions in Ticino canton including unlimited travel on public transport, cable cars, furniculars and museums. Price of the card is Fr. 87.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Agno · Regional · LUG
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Locarno and Switzerland.
Step-by-step Schengen visa application guide for 2026, covering embassy selection, €90 fees, photo specifications, bank statements and insurance.
6 min read
Discover the best small towns to visit for a peaceful holiday, with car-free streets, scenic walks, and local food across five quiet destinations.
7 min read
Switzerland will spoil you with a fantastic transport system - swift and disturbingly punctual trains, clean buses, and half a dozen different kinds of mountain transport systems, all integrated into a coherent system.
Wikivoyage
Nature & adventureRock climbing can be a fun way to push oneself to one's physical and mental limits. Climbing also presents an excellent incentive to seek out some of the most beautiful places in the world in search of some fresh rock.
Wikivoyage
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.