Things to Do in Lugano

Lugano is Switzerland's Italian-speaking lake resort, with palm trees, piazzas and an unmistakably Italian pace that feels distinct from the rest of the country. Monte Brè and San Salvatore flank the lake and are both reachable by funicular; San Salvatore's summit walk is steeper but the view over the lake and Alps is the better of the two. Gandria, a cluster of stone houses stacked into the hillside and reachable by boat or lakeside path, has no roads through its old centre. Morcote, at the southern tip of the lake, is regularly ranked among Switzerland's prettiest villages, with a lakeside promenade and a hilltop church worth the climb. Lugano is about two hours from Zurich HB by direct train, making it a long but workable day trip, better as an overnight.