Maybe you’ve heard about it: Switzerland speaks three, actually four national languages. In addition to German and French, Italian is also one of the official national languages (as is Romansh, but that’s for another article). This article also takes us to the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, the canton of Ticino. You can find out why this is an insider tip here.
How to travel to Ticino
Switzerland is known for mountains such as the Jungfraujoch, Titlis and Matterhorn. Perhaps you’ve already visited Lucerne with the Chapel Bridge or the Rhine Falls. Geneva has an international flair and Basel is known as a city of art, while Bern is probably Europe’s coziest capital. But Switzerland has something else to offer: Italianità, the way of life of our neighbors to the south. In the canton of Ticino, you can immerse yourself in a Switzerland with palm trees, lakesides reminiscent of a beach promenade and great hospitality. The cuisine is a local version of Mediterranean food, and the architecture with its palazzi is reminiscent of northern Italian towns.
A 2, 3 or 4-day trip to Ticino will enrich your stay in Switzerland with this variety of impressions.
Villa Carona: pure romance overlooking Lugano
At this point, we would like to make a special suggestion that we can recommend first hand: Villa Carona, above Lugano, offers an atmosphere that is hard to beat in terms of romance, warmth and natural beauty. The historic hotel building, which is one of the Swiss Historic Hotels and“Garden Hotels“, houses individually designed rooms and is surrounded by a beautiful garden. Guests can choose from various seating and sunbathing areas in the garden and take a refreshing dip in the hotel pool or relax in the hot tub surrounded by flowering plants.
Villa Carona la sosta ‘s restaurant serves local specialties of the highest quality and offers a romantic atmosphere in historic rooms or under a pergola planted with vines and wisteria.
From Villa Carona, it’s less than 20 minutes to Lugano, which, alongside Geneva and Zurich, offers the highest concentration of international boutiques in the center of the picturesque old town. A boat trip along the border with Italy is just as possible as a ride on one of the cable cars that take you to the nearby mountains of Monte Brè or San Salvatore. Even a day trip to Milan is possible: in 90 minutes you can be from the tranquility of Villa Carona in the center of the northern Italian metropolis!
Getting to Ticino easily
The journey is spectacular and comfortable: by train (for example, using a one-day Swiss Travel Pass) and then by postal bus, you can reach Villa Carona from Zurich in just over 3 hours; the car journey takes the same amount of time. In both cases, the journey takes you through one of the longest tunnels in the Alps and through beautiful landscapes that change color depending on the season.
Are you curious and want to know more about insider tips for your trip to Switzerland? Contact us and send an e-mail to [email protected].
