Lake Maggiore justifies its name (“big”) – it is an infinitely long lake, a trip along which either by car or by ship seems endless long. The most beautiful parts of the lake are near Stresa (the Borromean Gulf) in the Italian part and the northern end of the lake around Ascona.
Ticino
Ticino guest cards and public transport Ticino
In this topic, Ticino guest cards and public transport Ticino with maps of bus lines. Be sure to check the schedule in advance: buses in the gorges do not run very often, sometimes only a few times a day. In addition, some buses run only during the summer.
Ticino attractions map. Locarno, Bellinzona and valleys
Ticino attractions map: in this part there are Locarno, three adjoining valleys, which are more interesting than the city itself, Bellinzona, the Leventina valley up to the passes.
Lake Lugano attractions map
Two posts combine Ticino sights on the maps. In the first there are lake Lugano attractions: the lake, the surrounding mountains and the Italian part between Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore. Please note that it is possible to visit places around Locarno and Bellinzona from Lugano, but it is not as convenient and close as it seems on the map (dense population, traffic, narrow streets). Therefore, I would recommend two separate overnight stays.
Lake Lugano. 2. Lugano, Gandria, Melide, Carona
In the first part, I talked about where you can climb on cable cars, funiculars and cogwheels and what you can see from where. In this part – about Lugano and what to visit in this part of the lake.
5 best viewpoints of Lake Lugano
Let’s look at Lake Lugano from above – in this topic we will consider the 5 best viewpoints of Lake Lugano.
Lake Lugano, with its emerald water, is more intimate, cozy and beautiful than Lake Maggiore. Holiday here, of course, is more pleasant than on Maggiore, if only you manage to find a good place to stay. And this is even more difficult here.
If you look only highlights, you need at least 1-2 full days. And for a more detailed exploring of region – 3-4 days.
Lake Maggiore. Locarno and Ascona
For several years we looked for the possibility of going to Ticino, and finally it worked out and travelled to Locarno.
Accommodation in this region is very, very difficult, unless you go there in winter. We decided to go to Maggiore at the end of September, when schoolchildren and students return to their textbooks, families with small children prefer warm seas in the Indian summer and only European pensioners remain.
Ascona / Locarno. 2. Island Brissago
On the lakes of Italy and in Ticino, there are many former villas with gardens created by their wealthy owners and opened to the public after their death. There are also just parks without villas. In the vicinity of Locarno, lovers of parks and gardens can see: the camellia park in Locarno (it makes sense only during the flowering season), the tea plantation in Ascona, the botanical garden on the Brissago island, the botanical garden in Gambarogno.
Verzasca Valley
Locarno has three picturesque valleys – Verzasca Valley, Centovalli and Maggia. The first two are especially popular, but that doesn’t mean the latter is less worth visiting.
In this post about beautiful Verzasca valley with picturesque villages.
Centovalli Railway
Honestly, initially Centovalli railway was listed somewhere in the last places in the programm, since the photos did not make much of an impression. And we took the train only because after a short pause in the Verzasca Valley it started raining and was not going to stop. However, the views turned out to be amazing (at least in the rain) and the trip is highly recommended.