A-Way to Roam
A Photo-Rich Travel Blog
Lugano, Switzerland
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Walking up a somewhat steep hill you will arrive at the entrance to the cog railcar that will take you to the top of Mont Bre. Exiting the railcar you will have the Alps to your left and a grand view of Lake Lugano to your right. Again at the top of the mountain there was a café to sip coffee al fresco. Make sure you take a wide-angle lens with a circular polarizer so that you can capture the exquisite colors of the city, the Alps, and the lake. Ridiing the railcar back down towards the city you will pass through many hand bored tunnels made just for the purpose of the rail car. Head back towards the center of town and you will pass one of the many very small but detailed churches along the way which are worth a glimpse inside.
It was now nearing dinnertime so we decided to walk through the Piazza to a restaurant that was little-known by tourists but a local favorite, Elementi (I asked a police offer where he liked to eat). Be aware that almost every restaurant and café we visited presented meals that were at a minimum of $25 per person. But as I said before, each meal was presented as though you were in a five-star restaurant as was the service.
As we began our walk back up to the train station area we decided to take the small cable car from the very bottom of the hill where you boarded within the Piazza back up to within the train station itself. Lugano was one of the most beautiful cities I have visited. The streets were extremely clean, the architecture historic, the people were friendly, views of these vista were incredible, and would top my list as a city not to be missed when visiting Switzerland.
Lugano Switzerland, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino bordering Italy. No wonder I felt at home in this city hearing the language, experiencing the smells, the music and the bantering between people reminded me of my grandparents. The lake which this town borders takes the name of the town itself, Lake Lugano.
We decided to go to Lugano based on the weather reports we had been keeping an eye on. The weather in Zürich was colder and misty as were some of the other cities that were on our itinerary to visit. Lugano however, was clear warm in the 70s and partly cloudy. This was an excellent decision as upon our arrival we found the weather report to be very accurate so make sure to check the weather as you may have other options than walking in the rain. Leaving our train we walked over to a elegant café and enjoyed a warm cappuccino and some Italian pastries. While you are sitting in the café, make sure to peruse a few tourist brochures which will give you abundant information to plan your day in Lugano.Leaving the café we decided to walk through the park and down some winding pathways which led us to a church which contained a fresco upon the wall painted by one of Michelangelo's disciples. Looking at this fresco, the construction of the church, and the artifacts within, one could feel the history of this city bordering Italy.
All through the streets we could hear Italian being spoken rather than Swiss German. We made our way through streets going up and down terrain that was difficult for some elderly tourists and locals that we had seen. Cafés, restaurants, kiosks, and quaint little boutiques were bountiful and present around every turn. Entering one of the squares we could smell the roasting chestnuts waffing through the air and of course she had to purchase a 100g bag to enjoy as we walked towards the waterfront.
We decided not to take one of the boat rides across the lake's day as we wanted to explore more of the architecture and features along the main route and also off the beaten path. The architecture was impeccable as the designs throughout history carried forth in the present-day structures.