Lugano
Discover Lugano: an international city, which blends finance and culture. Indulge in the pleasant tranquillity of its parks and the Old-Town’s porticos. Relax with a spot of shopping and a stroll by the lakeside, among the palms and olive trees. Come and enjoy this corner of Switzerland, where city and nature seamlessly combine.
With the funicular to the top of the Monte San Salvatore
A few steps away from the frenetic pace of the city, the Monte San Salvatore (912 m) stands tall in the Lugano skyline. The cable car is located 500 metres from the Lugano-Sud motorway exit and five minutes from the Paradiso railway station. A 12-minutes ride on a panoramic funicular brings visitors to the mountain station, from where a fifteen minutes stroll takes one to the peak, to a viewing tower that offers a breath-taking 360 degrees outlook of the entire Ticino Alps, the Po Plain and the Apennines.
By the mountain station, the restaurant “Vetta” with its panoramic terrace combines gastronomic pleasures with relaxing moments. The Monte San Salvatore is a perfect destination for outdoor lovers. Several trails allow you to enjoy all the features of slopes of the mountain, weather it is walking in unspoilt surroundings or hiking in the rugged forest.
From San Salvatore to Morcote, through nature and culture
Let this walk amaze you: it will treat you with splendid views over the region. The descent to Morcote does start quite steeply. From Ciona, however, easy paths with no more significant changes in altitude take you through the forest to the artists' village of Carona, which was a source of inspiration for Hermann Hesse, amongst others. Here the botanical garden Parco San Grato with its collection of rhododendrons, azaleas and conifers is well worth a visit.
An easy forest trail leads from Carona past the 17th century Sanctuary of Madonna d'Ongero and an hour later to Alpe Vicania, whose “Grotto” seems to have a magical attraction for the locals in summer. Running idyllically through the chestnut forest and over hundreds of steps it finally arrives at the picturesque Morcote on the lake, where a boat trip back to Lugano makes for a relaxed ending to this wonderful hike.
