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City in Switzerland
Photo: MarkusMark, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Lugano is a lakeside city in Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of southern Switzerland, and is the largest Italian-speaking city in Switzerland and outside Italy. Part of a temperate micro-climate, Lugano offers palm trees, picturesque boulevards, stunning views of the lake and the Alps, and plenty of opportunity for outdoor and indoor activities. It is the economic center of Ticino and the third-largest banking center in the country. Lugano is the unofficial capital of Ticino, even though the cantonal government is based in Bellinzona. Lugano also makes a good base for visiting other cities and sites in the area. The city is a pleasant place to relax in the summertime and is only half an hour away from Lake Como.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Old town
Palazzo Riva
Lugano's City Hall
Ciani Park
A peaceful park with a wide variety of flowers and trees located near the heart of Lugano's tourist area. Villa Ciani is located there.
Cathedral of Saint Lawrence
It has an impressive full-wall 16th-century fresco by Bernardino Luini.
Cantonal Art Museum
Museum of Modern Art
The museum also offers an audio guide for a walk in the steps of Hesse, which is an extremely good choice on a beautiful day. Besides the exhibition there is also a film on Hesse shown, duration approximately 50 minutes. Friendly and helpful staff. English, German and Italian spoken.
Gandria is an unspoiled, picturesque lakeside village at the foot of Monte Brè. Perched on the steep mountainside it is a community of narrow streets, inaccessible to cars, with a delightful surprise round every corner.
Swiss Customs Museum
There is also a grotto restaurant nearby.
Gandria Trail
A path from the end of the Lugano promenade to Gandria. It is marked with panels which describe the history of olive trees in the region. That is why it is also known as Sentiero dell'olivo.
Mount Bre
There are numerous rustic trails that lead up from towns surrounding Mount Brè to its summit and the Funicolare Monte Brè. A trail map is available from the local tourist information.
The top of this mountain has a restaurant, hiking paths and a look-out tower offering an amazing panoramic view of Lugano, the lake and surrounding area. It is possible to hike up to the mountain (about 2 hours), or take the cable car.
Free open air music festival with multiple stages throughout the heart of Lugano in late August.
The Lido di Lugano right in the city centre is a great place to swim with a beach, 3 swimming pools and a bar.
Boat rental options include paddle boats and speed boats.
Swiss Miniature Village
Switzerland in miniature as a theme park.
The cafeteria in the Manor Department store offers a wide variety of tempting International dishes, ranging from sushi to pasta. Fresh fruits and vegetables arrayed in stylish displays are almost a painting themselves. Wine and beer are available as are a wide range of other beverages.
Piazza Riforma. Excellent pizza, great service. They offer 2 sizes of pizza.
Italian cuisine in the village of Gandria with dining on a terrace with views of Lago di Lugano
Amazing decor, (also an art gallery), great food and views of the Lake!
The house is surrounded by a palm garden and has a nice swimming pool that all guests can use. Hostel guests can use a small communal kitchen.
A very clean, family-run hotel with some en-suite rooms. English and German are spoken.
Family tradition since 1906, it is the right hotel for holidays or for business stays and the only one on the lake promenade in the centre of Lugano, with own indoor parking, restaurant, meeting room, garden with swimming-pool and terrace. W-Lan Internet Hot-Spot, an Internet workstation and an "Ethernet" connection for notebook computers are available free of charge at the Internet corner. “Historic hotel with honour”: the ICOMOS jury has granted the hotel this eminent UNESCO award.
1 minute from station, 200 m from the lake. WiFi access and meeting facilities. Multistore car park.
Has a direct connection to the station with the cable car and is in the city centre. Single room from Fr. 116, double room from Fr. 157 (season from October 2011, all included).
2 km from the city. The historical main building – the Villa – is one of the most refined luxury hotel establishments in Lugano.
Huge designer outlet 20 km from Lugano.
Department store with everything from clothing to home goods as well as some Swiss souvenirs. Grocery store in basement.
By train
Lugano station is on the Gotthard railway, which crosses the Alps connecting the cantons of Schwyz and Uri to Cantone Ticino. It primarily serves:
By bus
There are three shuttle services between Lugano and Milan Malpensa Airport. Each takes about 1 hr 10 min to get in from Malpensa:
By car
Due to physical geography, Lugano has good North-South oriented links and non-existent East-West ones.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Agno · Regional · LUG
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