Lugano Switzerland

Situated on Lake Lugano, one of the spectacular lakes linking Switzerland and Italy, Lugano is a place where cultures meet. The city is the cultural, recreational, financial and commercial hub of Switzerland’s southernmost, Italian-speaking canton of Ticino.

Lugano is fun, sophisticated and safe, with dozens of outdoor activities around Lake Lugano, including 40 of Europe’s best mountain bike routes.  Enjoy two concert halls in the city, great museums such as the Cantonal Museum of Art and Architecture and Museum of Modern Art, and every variety of shop and restaurant. The International Jazz Festival, Blues to Bop, and other renowned events attract visitors from all over Europe. As a result, French, German and English are likely to be heard on the streets, in addition to the city’s native Italian.

Only an hour’s travel from Lugano is Milan, the commercial center of northern Italy—and with a few additional hours, reach Venice, Florence, Strasbourg, Nice, and Innsbruck. In one day, you can easily travel as far as Munich, Vienna, Paris and Rome, not to mention what is possible to experience and learn in the course of a weekend.

Lugano is the central point of departure for all of Europe.  With Lugano’s rail lines and regional airport, all of Europe is within easy reach.

Your Summer To-Do List

Take the train to Milan, Rome, Paris, Zurich
and other amazing European cities …

or stay local in Lugano and…
Appreciate the 17th-century frescos in Lugano’s Chiesa di San Rocco (church)
Dance under the stars at the Blues to Bop Festival
Discover new treasures at the Museo Cantonale d’Arte
Experience International Film Festival in Locarno's outdoor Piazza Grande
Explore the Ticino Sun Trail from Monte San Salvatore
Hear world-class music at Lugano’s Jazz Festival, the “biggest little jazz festival in Europe”
Hike the Sentiero di Gandria footpath to the Italian border
Hike the trails on the Savoy Alps
Jog the walking path around Lake Lugano
Party with friends at the Etnic Bar and restaurants in Quartiere Maghetti
See the most famous renaissance fresco in Switzerland at Chiesa Santa Maria degli Angeli
Shop until you drop on Via Nassa
Ride the funicular up the San Salvatore mountains
Sip cappuccino near Lugano’s 1844 Town Hall
Stroll in the gorgeous Parco Civico and visit the Villa Ciani
Study masterpieces at the Museo Cantonale di Storia Naturale
Take a bus to Cassarate-Monte Bre for a spectacular view of Lugano and the alps
Take a city tour on the “La freccia rossa” train from Piazza Manzoni
Taste regional treats at the market on Piazza Riforma
Visit the 1798 Piazza Indipendenza