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Weekend trip to Ticino: The melting pot of Italian and Swiss culture

Weekend trip to the italian part of Switzerland. Especially in winter, this is a nice escape as the region is known for its warmer and sunnier climate

  • Peninsula with the towns of Locarno, Losone and Ascona+ 3
  • Lago Maggiore
  • Ascona
  • Weekend trip to Ticino: The melting pot of Italian and Swiss culture
ijuri.s
by ijuri.s
About Me:
AtlasGuru Contributor

EuropeSwitzerland1 day / December 2021

Highs & Lows

Good italian food and many possibilities for outdoor activities

On a sunny weekend all of Switzerland is flooding the region

Itinerary Overview

We arrived on a saturday morning directly from Zürich. The easiest and less stressfull way to arrive is by train. The first day we just enjoyed the good weather, had a long lunch in an italian restaurant and walked on the waterfront in Locarno. The second day we did an easy hike to the top of the local mountain of Ascona and had a delicious gelato before taking the train back to Zürich.

  • 1 Night: Ascona
    Tourism
Ascona - Tourism
1

Ascona

Tourism

Ascona - Tourism - Peninsula with the towns of Locarno, Losone and Ascona
Peninsula with the towns of Locarno, Losone and Ascona
Ascona - Tourism - Lago Maggiore
Lago Maggiore
Ascona - Tourism - null1+

On the peninsula you find three different municipalities: Locarno, Ascona and Losone. While Ascona is known for its high-end hotels, gourmet restaurants and fancy visitors, Locarno and Losone are more accessible to the "normal traveler". I recommend visiting the several valleys of the region such as Valle Maggia, Val Verzasca or Valle Onsernone where you can hike, dine in typical restaurants called Grotto and take baths in the glacier cold water of the rivers. Additionally, the Island of Brissago is worth a visit. 

Q & A

  • Tips you would give a friend?

    It is best to arrive by train (www.sbb.ch). For foreigners I recommend to look early for discount tickets which you find online or asking at a ticket office in one of the bigger train stations.* For lodgeing in the area I recommend staying in Locarno or even Losone as they are more priceworthy. If you stay up to a month in Switzerland it can even pay off to buy a General Abonnemment (a ticket valid in whole Switzerland for 30 days).

  • Packing tips?

    Pack clothes for layering, as during this time of the year the temperatures change a lot.

  • Transportation Tips?

    Use the pubilc transport.

  • Any surprises?

    Happily not :)

  • Booking details?

    Check here for discount packages for train and accomodation (https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/topics/hotels-im-tessin-zum-spezialpreis.html).

Lodging