Why did it take us so long to finally go to Ticino in the very south of Switzerland? Well, that really is a question, we cannot answer. We already have heard a lot about Ticino – about beautiful hiking trails, emerald green rivers and raging waterfalls. Now, it was time to see it for ourselves!

Ticino – A short introduction

We stayed for one week in Ticino, the only canton of Switzerland, which is completely on the south side of the alps. The official language in Ticino is Italian and also the cities have a very Mediterranean and Italian flair. Ticino has about 2100 hours of sunshine each year, which you can also notice due to the palm trees you see often. 

The diversity is one of Ticino specialities. In the north you can find the high mountains of the alps (in May many are still covered with snow) and in the south you can find a very Mediterranean landscape. In between there are also countless valleys with beautiful rivers and lakes. The most popular lakes are Lago Maggiore and Lago di Lugano. But not only the variety of landscapes show the beauty of Ticino, but also the beautiful cities are worth a visit. We were especially thrilled by Ascona with its beautiful promenade at the lake and Lugano with its narrow and winding streets. In short: The beautiful landscape paired with beautiful cities make Ticino worth a visit for everyone.

How to get there

There are plenty of ways how to get to Ticino. If you travel from far away, the most convenient way is to take a plain to Lugano-Agno airport. A little bigger is the airport in Milano, which is only an hour drive away from Ticino. Another option would be to take the train. There are many daily direct connections to Basel, Zurich and Milano.

We decided to take the car, because for us it is only a three hours drive and it allows us to be very flexible about where we go. From the north you can either take the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the San Bernardino Tunnel or the Lukmanier pass. From the south you can take both the A9 motorway from Milano and the A8 motorway to Ticino. We took the San Bernardino Tunnel and it was obvious why there are always traffic jams during summer time, as the roads have mostly only a single lane. But luckily, we didn’t had any problems as it was first May and early in the morning.

Our tours

During our week in Ticino, we hiked along the Verzasca river, explored the Bavona Valley (a side valley of the Maggia Valley), hiked on top of Monte Gambarogno, strolled in the cities of Ascano and Lugano, enjoyed the view from Monte Bré and discovered amazing waterfalls.

After one week in Ticino, we can surely say: Ticino you are beautiful!