Lugano walking tour & city guide
Where Switzerland feels like Italy.
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Lugano, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, combines Swiss order with Italian style. Palm trees line the lakefront, piazzas are full of cafés, and green mountains drop straight into Lake Lugano, making it one of the sunniest and most relaxing places in Switzerland.
The old town and the lakefront
Piazza della Riforma is the heart of the city, a large square with café terraces in front of the town hall. From here, arcaded streets like Via Nassa, Lugano's elegant shopping street, lead along the lake. The church of Santa Maria degli Angioli contains a large Renaissance fresco of the Passion by Bernardino Luini.
The lakeside promenade runs through the Parco Ciani, a beautiful park with camellias, magnolias and lake views. The LAC cultural center, a modern building on the lake, hosts art exhibitions and concerts.
Mountains and villages
Funiculars climb Monte San Salvatore and Monte Brè, the two mountains framing the bay, for wide views over the lake and the Alps. A lakeside path leads to Gandria, a village of stone houses clinging to the slope above the water.
Boats cross the lake to Morcote, often voted one of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland, and to Italian towns on the opposite shore.
Visiting tips
Lugano is warm from spring to autumn, and summer evenings are lively along the lake. It is about two hours from Zurich by train through the Gotthard Base Tunnel, and close to Lake Como and Milan in Italy.
Top sights in Lugano
- 1
Piazza della Riforma
The main square of the city.
- 2
Parco Ciani
A lakeside park full of flowers.
- 3
Monte San Salvatore
A funicular to a panoramic summit.
- 4
Monte Brè
A sunny mountain with a village at the top.
- 5
Gandria
A lakeside village reached by a path or boat.
- 6
Morcote
A picturesque village on the lake.
Food markets & where to eat in Lugano
Piazza della Riforma
Café terraces in the city's main square.
Via Pessina
A lane of delis, cheese and salami shops.
Grotti
Rustic Ticino taverns in the hills and by the lake.
Lakeside promenade
Gelato and drinks by the water.
Food to try in Lugano
Risotto
Often with saffron or mushrooms, a Ticino favorite.
Polenta
Served with braised meat or cheese.
Merlot del Ticino
The region's famous red wine.
Luganighe
Local pork sausages.
Opening hours and prices change often. Please check with each place before you visit.
Plan your trip to Lugano
Enjoyed the walk? Here is everything you need to see it for real.
- Hotels in LuganoCompare places to stay and prices.
- Tours & ticketsWalking tours, museums and day trips in Lugano.
- eSIM for SwitzerlandStay online from the moment you land.
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