LAGO MAGGIORE - SWITZERLAND
A mediterranean world in an Alpine setting. The Lago Maggiore stretches between Piedmont and Lombardy, but the upper lake joins Italian speaking Switzerland, giving life to a paradise, uniting the mild climate and a rich mediterranean vegetation with the magnificient presence of majestic mountains, giving access to mystic valleys still feeling the heartbeat of past centuries. A microcosmos with thousands of opportunities to spend a unique holiday or a long vacation - for all those who descend from up north or arrive from the south.
Ascona, exquisite and romantic, is a heaven for sophisticated and elegant guests. Shops and art galleries respect the style of the old town which still reflects the charm of a fishing village. Locarno is a friendly, lively town. Its palaces, museums and churches are an invitation to art lovers, and the local cuisine is irresistible. In the summer evenings, especially during the international film festival, people meet under the starlit sky of the Piazza grande. Brissago and its islands are a subtropical surprise, boasting the exotic scents and sights of a stunning vegetation: from the Australian eucalyptus trees to the palm trees, the botanical garden unites the species of five continents. At Tenero, the waters of peaceful Ticino river flow into the lake. A natural river delta with camp sites is an ideal place for visitors who like to get the feel of nature. Right opposite there's the Riviera del Gambarogno: from the Bolle the Magadino, a natural resort, to the quiet villages and the sunny slopes, this landscapeshapes up in a sequence of idyllic pictures. Brissago, Ascona, Locarno, Tenero and the Gambarogno are mirrored in a lake alive with the rivers flowing from two magnificient valleys. The Maggia Valley - granite structures and green meadows. Mountain lakes, glaciers and white snowfields, villages built centuries ago, and above all the river Maggia, at times wild and impetuous, but often inviting, and always crystal clear. The Verzasca Valley, emerald green and friendly, with picturesque rocks matching the villages. And then, from the Terre di Pedemonte, the Centovalli and the Onsernone Valley, mysteriously silent, leading to houses that have preserved their ancient simplicity.
The Swiss region of the Lago Maggiore offers leisure programs to travelers who like to discover and invent the days on their own. This oasis welcomes those who like the grand and the simple life, the small and great culinary pleasures, flashing events and simple encounters, fashionable sports or a nice walk in the sun. Luxury and simplicity - it's all there: the top class hotel, and the relaxed atmosphere of a rustico; the restaurant with its refined cuisine, and the grotto for a plain, good meal and a drink. Golfing, surfing, wakeboard and snowboard, paragliding - and a game of boccia; a demanding hiking tour up in the mountains, and easy hiking in the hills; the Festival internazionale del Film, and the Ascona New Orleans Jazz - or birds singing in a nearby park; a crazy night at the disco - and quiet moments under the stars; The prestigious art show, and a small local museum; the great panoramic view, and an idyllic river bank. It's a world of passion and emotions for those who like to escape for a day or two, or spend a long vacation, any time of the year.
LAGO MAGGIORE AND ITS VALLEYS
Tradition and modern times
Orselina sopra Locarno, the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sasso with the Convent of the Capuchins - the church was founded in 1480, restructured in 1616 and enlarged in the course of the 19th century - and the Church by Mario Botta, built in the last years, mark the two extremes of a great number of monuments and museums: at Ascona there's the Monte Verità with its museums Casa Anatta and Casa Selma, Casa Serodine, the Church of the Saints Peter and Paul, with the paintings of Serodine (= 1631), the Collegio Papio with the Church of Santa Maria della Misericordia, the Modern Art Museum and the Epper Museum. At Locarno, the Castello Visconteo with its Archaeological Museum; Casorella - a patrician home of the XIV century, the Casa Rusca with the Pinacoteca Comunale, and the Church of San Francesco and Sant'Antonio. Or the Museum of Bosco Gurin in the Maggia Valley, the Museum of Loco and the Museum of the Centovalli at Intragna.
Great events
The Piazza Grande is the main arena of the Festival internazionale del film di Locarno. Ascona celebrates early summer with New Orleans Jazz. The seasons offer also the International Organ Festival at Magadino in July, and the Music Weeks of Ascona from August to October. But the region offers outstanding sports and cultural events all year round: the International Horse Jumping Contest of Ascona, the Swiss Beach Volleyball Tournament, the Triathlon at Locarno, the Ticino Marathon at Tenero, the theater season of Locarno, the Camellia Exhibition at the Botanical Garden Eisenhut at Vairano, the Festival of the Camellias at Locarno, and the Eranos Meetings at Ascona. The friends of automobiles enjoy the different meetings of Ferrari, Bentley, Harley Davidson and of some Oldtimers at the Piazza of Ascona.
Natural and artistic sites
The Botanical Garden of Brissago welcomes visitors from April to October with a vast number of exotic plants of rare beauty. The Villa Emden hosts prestigious art exhibitions, and with its excellent restaurant, the islands offer unforgettable moments. The village Corippo in the Verzasca Valley is a national monument, the Ponte Lavertezzo, the village of Rasa in the Centovalli and the villages of the Onsernone Valley are jewels of authentic architecture.
Dolce Vita
Sipping a cup of coffee on the beach front or shopping in the picturesque streets of Ascona, making a relaxing journey through the villages of the Gambarogno or enjoying the free life of the Tenero campsites: some of the many opportunites for having fun in this fantastic region.
