Locarno-Switzerland | Stylish Waterfront and Iconic Movie Festival Site.

Locarno is a marvellous jewel of Switzerland,its stylish waterfront is one of the most attractive of the entire country and also famous to be an iconic Movie Festival site known all around the world for the prestige and fame of that event which gave that magnificent Swiss city an international popularity all around the globe.

A diamond of Canton Ticino,when you visit that Swiss centre of about 16,000 inhabitants you will note the natural paradise which surrounds that magnificent place,the Alps,on the shore of that marvellous beauty called Lake Maggiore that splendid waters basin,which has along all its coasts a mine of treasures to show town by town,village by village km by km.Locarno is simply fantastic because is elegant,attractive, including romantic with its stunning lake promenade a classical and famed destination of that corner of Southern Switzerland,  keeping furthermore with its architecture and monuments its traditional identity and charm.

It is not a case that prominent people as Stendhal,Nietzsche,Wagner and Hesse chose that place as one of their favourite resorts to spend relaxing stays and enjoyable days contemplating that marvellous lake strolling its charming streets and captivating squares which give at first sight inspiration and special sensations.

Many other writers,poets and artists fall in love with that resort,to love that place is very simple enjoying the picturesque views from the harbour and sitting in one of its fine restaurants admiring the irresistible fascination of its Mediterranean vegetation,you are in Switzerland but Locarno has a special micro-climate with over 2100 hours of sunshine a year and many people calls it Swiss Riviera or Swiss Rimini for that.


Locarno is a city on human scale although its prestige is known worldwide thanks its famous Casino,the Lake and the prestigious Locarno International Film Festival held each year in august and ranked as 4th European Festival after the popular Cannes,Venice and Berlin,a pride of the city,Canton Ticino and obviously for the entire country.

The geographical position is simply great,very close to Ascona and Lugano two class and top destinations in Switzerland,(I wrote posts about those two other captivating Swiss destinations) located on the delta of river Maggia and south of the Alps,it is is a strategic crossroad from where it is possible to reach in a very short time a big number of fantastic places,the Italian Lake Maggiore coast with the splendid Stresa and Baveno but also the cities of Como and Milan in approximately 50 minutes driving and the Alpine valleys if you are a lover of Winter sports are very close.

The local architecture is mainly dated 18th and 19th century the centre is concentrated surrounding the famous Piazza Grande,the big square surrounded by its picturesque narrow streets and romantic alleys give it a special,particular,captivating and enchanting atmosphere.

The history of Locarno according historical documents and archaeological excavations in that area started in the 13th century BC with a consistent development during the Bronze Age,while many other artifacts were discovered in the area of Ascona and Magadino.Under Roman rule the town was an important  Castrum a sort of ample military camp but also with an active social life and later transformed in an important market place and trade centre thank to s its important position.

During the Lombard occupation the city flourished and later it was part of the County of Stazzona.In the 10th century the current resort was under Milan rule and part of the Dioceses of the city of Como.In the 12th century the land was conquered by Frederik of Swabia and the new ruler granted new privileges in the activity of a busy market,he gave autonomy favouring the development of that centre not only in trading but also in urbanisation.

In the 14th century in the year 1342 Locarno was once again under Milan rule when the Lord of the Lombardy City Luchino Visconti reincorporated those lands in the Duchy of Milan and it was also governed by the noble family Rusca Visconti.

The domination of that influential house and Milanese Visconti endured until the early 16th century when the Swiss conquered the major part of the Canton of Ticino,only the Visconti Castle was not conquered but after continuous battles the French King Louise XII in the peace of Friburg gave that last stronghold of the Capital of Lombardy to the Swiss.

During the first period of the Helvetian Confederation ,Locarno joined the County of Lugano although with a local autonomy and in the year 1814 was signed the Cantonal Constitution and the current city with Lugano and Bellinzona became one of the three capitals of the Canton.

In the post 1st World and concretely in the year 1925 the city was the place of the famous and historic Pact of Locarno between Germany and France.Due the sad situation in Germany after the 1st World War with a consequent economical crisis Germany did not want to pay the damages caused in that war and France occupied the region of the Ruhr.Locarno hosted the German Minister Gustav Stresemann and the French Minister Aristide Briand to look for a solution about the German -French borders and the entry of Germany in the league of Nations.

The centre is mainly developed behind its charming lake promenade Lungolago Giuseppe Motta which continues at north in a sort of prolongation flanking the shore of Lake Maggiore with Viale Verbano an coastal avenue with splendid panoramic views.From the lakefront start a line of vertical streets which all leads to the historic centre sich as Via Orelli,Via Bramantino and Via Franscini and Largo Zorzi which directly leads to the emblematic Piazza Grande all them are crossed by two important central axes consisting in Via della Posta and Via Della Pace,two long boulevards which cross the core of the city from north to south,inside that urban network you are in the heart of the Swiss city.

The waterfront of Locarno is one of the most stylish of the entire Switzerland located on a magnificent promontory which also includes the nearest Ascona,the view is simply magic admiring from there the other coast of Lake Maggiore towards San Nazzaro and Magadino where the river Ticino enters in the lake.
From the lakefront there is also an unforgettable view of th lake towards the Lombard coast with its sinuous curve and with view of the sharp headland of Pino Lago Maggiore.

The mountains all around make the rest,a walk on that promenade is something unique,if you move on the extreme point of the tip after the Parco della Pace a park immediately after Lungolago Motta you will have another magnificent panoramic view of Muralto and the coast with Rivapiana and the ample bay immediately after Navegna.

The picturesque harbour facing the lines of coloured buildings,palm trees and the view of other peaks is another stupendous attraction,which reflects one of the most charming image and image of the resort.

You can start the visit from one of the most iconic sites and landmark of Locarno which is definitely  the charming square Piazza Grande with its captivating buildings and  the famed  Albergo Svizzero with its homonyms Caffé Svizzero a famous Cafe in a palace with a courtyard formed by the transformation properties in the year 1853,in the porch there are two walls with a bas-relief profile of a lady and the other with a portrait of a Man works dating back the early 16th century.

Head to the west,under the arcades of that charming square,you can to reach the nearest Via Panigari and immediately after Via Ciitadella,along those two streets you are entering in the medieval core of the old Locarno and there you can admire a first relevant monument the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta,the Church dedicated St Mary of the Assumption also known  as the Chiesa Nuova the new Church.

That relevant Religious building developed on an ample rectangular plan has an ample facade on the side of Via Cittadella with statues flanking a wooden rectangular portal and a splendid decorated framed window placed on the upper section of the facade,notable is also the presence of two frescoes in a square frame placed over two statues contained in mural niches.

Very charming is the imposing stoned bell tower with traditional architectonic sober lines and a belfry on its upper section surmounted by a charming conical roof topped by an iron cross.That Church offers a view of the most beautiful stucco of Early Baroque art in Switzerland,the ceiling and the decoration in the spendid and sinuous vaults are absolutely stunning,you will notice a perfect of the columns with capitals under a beasutiful decorated wall and magnificent dome and the beautiful altar under a semi cupola with small semi circular stained glass windows transmitting lights to thei nterior and to the apse.

The Casa dei Canonici, adjoining the church,served both residential clergy and working in the Church.Inside thisatbuilding there are rooms decorated with framed mirrors remarkable stucco,a series of symmetrical ample rectangular framed and decorated windows on its facade are another relevant attraction surmounting a a doorway on the ground floor.

 Via Cittadella forks on Via San Antonio a typical alley with its antique shops,artisans and some houses  featuring interior gardens and charming courtyards.Via San Antonio leads to the square of the same name and where you can see the Chiesa di Sant´Antonio Abate,a Religious building dedicated to St. Anthony the Abbott.Very imposing is its light facade with a huge pediment topped by a cross and over two charming arched windows,a big central portal and four false columns part of the facade complete the decorative architectonic elements of that Church designed on a wide rectangular plan.

That Religious Temple has a peculiar history,it was consecrated in two occasions in  1353 and 1354 and the early Church was oriented towards east and it occupied the area of the square.After the restorations of the local Churches,the intention of the promoters and especially by Giovanni Marcacci, the new building dedicated to St. Antony had to become the most important in Locarno.In the year 1682 the western side was completed with a choir and two side chapels and in 1685 came from Rome the relics of St. Gregory,which increased the historic value of the church with a shrine consecrated in 1692.

The bell tower was also built in those years but it was rebuilt twice in the years 1735 and 1760.About the interiors in 1740 was developed a great altar in marble and decorated with a fresco depicting the Deposition of Jesus Christ a beautiful,large fresco by Giuseppe Antonio Felice Orelli.In the 19th century  and exactly in the year 1816 the Church received the title of Collegiate.

Unfortunately that construction also lived a sad period,in particular in 1863,when there was a partial collapse of the roof in winter,due that accident was established a design of a new facade in Neoclassical Style,a new choir,the octagonal shape of the dome and the roof profiles,all those details you can see today.

Among the most important artistic works are to mention the altars in polychrome marble dated 1695 of the chapels,the late Gothic statue of the  Madonna delle Grazie (The Virgin of the Fraces) and the Baroque sculptures of St. Roque and St. Sebastian.The altar of St. Gregory in the chapel of the transept was restored in the year 1810 with a polychrome marble altar and from 1745 with the wooden arch containing the relics of the Saint,a work dated 1685 by Francesco Paolo Pisoni.

The chapel of the Dead with the great decoration by Giuseppe Antonio Felice Orelli dated , which frames the painting of the Deposition and the urn with the dead Christ engraver Domenico Pimpa on the marble altar in 1740.By artist Orelli is also the canvas which is situated in the choir,painted in 1771 and depicting the Glory of S. Anthony,hanging at the chancel altar of the Presentation of Mary at the Temple and the Preaching of St. Peter attributed to Pier Francesco Mauro Pancaldi. Pancaldi.

The 1589 baptismal font bears the symbol of the ancient double-Commonwealth of Locarno dominated by the cover and bronze by the sculptor Remo Rossi.The organ is another highlight of that Church the most romantic instrument with mechanical transmission existing in the Canton of Ticino and it is a masterpiece by the Italian Adeodato Bossi-Urbani from Bergamo,recent renovations have made it suitable for concert activities.

A very short distance from the Church, on the south side of the square you can see Casa Rusca, which houses the Art Gallery of Locarno opened in the year 1987.The complex of that house consists in a combination of  two older buildings.It is a 18th century construction with a large courtyard with a triple gallery columns and it is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Southern Switzerland.

The municipal art gallery hosts exhibitions periodically renewed dedicated to modern or contemporary artists.The rooms are subdivided on three floors arched structured around a central courtyard.The picture gallery displays a large collection of works by the founder of Dadaism, Jean Arp, his wife Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Ferdinand Holder,Cuno Amiet and other prominent Dadaists artists and it  preserves and presents through an interesting exhibitions art collections owned by the City of Locarno.

Those collections made by Jean and Marguerite Arp donation also includes works by contemporary artists from the Legacy Giacometti paintings and engravings of about 150 artists who collaborated to the '"Oeuvre Gravée"by a donation of Giovann Bianconi,furthermore there are also donations by  Rudolf Mumprecht, Emilio Maria Beretta and  Rosalda Bernocco Gilardi among others.


In Via dell'Ospedale (Hospital street) you can admire the Chiesa di San Francesco a Church dedicated to Saint Francis with the former Franciscan convent. That building is a witness and highlight of the post medieval architecture of that mendicant orders founded by the Saint of Assisi.The foundation of the convent of San Francesco is dated 1229, when Anthony of Padua  donated the land on which was built a Franciscan monastery in Locarno. Probably the Church was consecrated one year later in 1230 but the official documents certified that the solemn consecration was on January 1316 by order of the Bishop of Como and it was undergoing major transformations in the 16th century.


The interior is very sober,with a nave and two aisles separated by five twin pillars of granite from the region of Ascona.Relevant are  the wooden vaults of the nave,a large fresco of the Annunciation which decorates the upper part of the choir.The Marian vision of Fra Bartolomeo d'Ivrea, a monk from Piedimont took place according to tradition the night between 14 and 15 August 1480, gave a great incentive to visit Locarno and that Church.

.In the years after the Franciscans started other important initiatives such as the construction of the Oratory of the Annunciation consecrated in 1502,the expansion of the Church and the Convent of the Sacred Mountain and including a plan to rebuild of the Church of St Francis.

That project was by architect Giovanni Beretta Brissago who was inspired by the model of the medieval Basilica of San Francesco in the city of Milan.The works around the structure started in the year 1538 by recovering materials from the demolition of the Visconti Castle and from the yard  and the tower of San Vittore.

The Church presents a facade of Romanesque inspiration,a plan consisting in three aisles separated by two orders of five columns,three polygonal apses and a large square choir.The side chapels,the stucco decorations and stage are painted by Giuseppe Antonio Felice Orelli and they are are dated 17th and 18th century.During the period of the domain of the Swiss the Church was the site of the ceremonial of the Landfogti and a reference point for the nobility and aristocracy of Locarno.

The decree of suppression of the monasteries in the year 1848 was the result of the closure of the Church and the beginning of its decline since used as a warehouse until 1924,when it was reopened for worship.The former Monastery currently houses the Cantonal School of Science,which extends to the south of the building and it preserves the structures of the two cloisters with arches supported by elegant columns.In the room of the dining hall there are frescoes dated 1716 by Antonio Baldassarre Orelli, depicting the scenes of the Wedding at Cana, the Last Supper,the Cardinal virtues and the glorification of St. Francis.

Very close is situated the Castello Visconteo the Visconti Castle,one of the greatest fortresses of the Duchy of Milan in Swiss territory,a fortress which was, once owned by the powerful Visconti family who ruled Milan for centuries.The fortress is located in the southwestern side of the old city,pretty close to Piazza Grande and it was an important and emblematic landmark during the long history of Locarno considered apart its imposing aspect an impenetrable stronghold and particularly remarkable for its distinctive tower.

Before the demolition which took place from 1531 it occupied an area much larger than that you can see today.Under the former round tower there were walkways,you can still see the remains of the ancient port and the wall which protected the castle from the floods of the river Maggia.The castle was also the seat of Landfogti since 1513.Before to be dismantled by the Swiss ,in 1532,the castle was surrounded by a wall and a round tower is still well preserved.

The core of that construction still exists today,it was built and developed in other stages from the 13th to the 15th century and partially rebuilt in the 16th century,currently the fortress hosts one room dedicated to the memory of the famous 1925 Locarno Pact where the Ministers of Belgium,Germany,France,Great Britain and Italy signed there that famous document to respect the national borders and it is also the site of the Museum of Modern Art and the Archaeological Collection.

The Archaeological Museum of Locarno is known internationally for the renowned collection of Roman glassware came to light following the archaeological research and excavations conducted in the region..From the 1st to the 4th century along the shores of Lake Maggiore settled merchants and artisans who entertained relationships with the great centres of Roman civilisation.Thanks to those exchanges in the region,the local merchants received valuable items and furthermore in the area were also discovered ancient tombs.

The museum's collection includes about 200 pieces arranged in chronological order and grouped according to the context of discovery.The section of Roman glass is organised in two large rooms,flanked by 5 private rooms respectively dedicated to the Prehistory of the Locarno,Roman art,a collections of Apulian vases and pottery from Southern Italy,an exposure of the famous Locarno Pact of 1925,costumes of the 18th century and a Nymphenburg porcelain collection.Beside the castle you can see another iconic construction called Rivellino,a former defencive bastion which some historical documents and recent studies attribuied as a work by the great Leonardo da Vinci.

Palazzo Casorella is a palace which is part of the castle complex,a building erected between 1575 and 1593.Of great interest are the fillers of the loggia dated 16th century which opens onto the courtyard and the main hall, painted by Caldelli with the large canvas depicting the Judgement of Paris painted by Orelli in the year 1773.

Worth a visit The Chiesa della Santa Trinitá (Church of the Holy Trinity) called the Church of the Mountains of Burgesses.That Religious Temple was consecrated in the year 1621,probably erected over an ancient Oratory and the project was designed to allow the recess in the wall of three niches on each side or even the demolition of the walls for the erection of any side chapels.In 1647 the company of porters from Livorno in Tuscany worked at Locarno began to votive donations of corporations of the trades in order to beautify the Church.

The construction of the side chapels of the Saints James and Philip is dated 1657 and that one dedicated  St. Bartholomew is dated 1669 followed by stucco decorations now disappeared.In the 18th century the painter Antonio Baldassarre Orelli performed at least a dozen of votive paintings,commissioned by the masons and blacksmiths such as St.Anthony dated 1715,carpenters St.Joseph, dated 1716 by carters the Assumption ended in 1717, by butchers with five paintings of 18th  century,bricklayers which is an unknown work dated 1718,a tailor consisting in a Pieta dating back the year1721 and surely several others which have been untraceable.During the 19th century restoration of the decoration of the walls was renewed in 1881 and was laid the marble high altar from the Church of Santa Maria in Selva.

The Chiesa e Convento di San Rocco e San Sebastiano the Church and convent of St. Roque and St. Sebastian is another religious building of interest.The foundation of that Temple was a vote by the local inhabitants during the period of the plagues, in reality the concession to build the Church and the convent was solicited and obtained by the representatives of the Catholic Cantons to preserve the country from a dual scourge of the plague and the Protestant heresy.

The first stone was placed in the year 1602 and the consecration of the building was two years later.The original structures of the Church and Convent of the Capuchins have been altered by changes in the 19th century and also more recently.The four wooden altars are largely original and more than two sides of the arch,relevant work by the engraver Antonio from Lugano and his workshop.

The canvas inserted in the altar were painted in 1605 by Salmeggia Bergamo said Talpino,depicting the Crucifix adored by Saints Francis,Roque and Sebastian while by unknown artists of the 17th century are the blades of the side altars,the Apparition of the Child s,and St.Anthony of Padua among others.Dated the the 18th century style is  the wooden altar of the side chapel  and the wooden statue of the Virgin Mary probably a work from Milan school sculpture.


Locarno crowned by mountains is dominated by the magnificent silhouette of the famous pilgrimage Chiesa di Santa Maria del Sasso  called also Madonna del Sasso ( Church of the virgin of the stone).The Church is the main Locarno landmark with the square Piazza Grande,that magnificent and historic building overlooking the city is accessible by funicular.The rocky promontory of Orselina offers  fantastic views of the city, the lake and the nearest mountains.The entrance is marked by the characteristic arched tunnel decorated with beautiful frescoes. frescoes.The foundation of the shrine  was by the miracle of the apparition of the Virgin to the Monk  Fra Bartolomeo d'Ivrea a vision occurred during the night between 14 and 15 August 1480 and it was consecrated in 1487.In the year 1502, with the consecration of the Oratory of the Annunciation was built at the foot of the mountains always on the initiative of Fra Bartolomeo, laid the legal foundations for the creation of a Sacred Mountain where the overall project was completed towards the end of the 16th century.

The present appearance of the Church of  the Madonna del Sasso is an important measure of magnification begun work between 1578 and 1596 and the work of decoration between 1587 and 1620.The north aisle, the front portico and loggia south are dated between 1625 and 1677. The choir,the vestry,the north porch the upper section of the facade and the bell tower instead belong to transformations and renovations began in 1890 and concluded in 1925.

The general restoration of the Convent was designed by the architect Luigi Snozzi, was completed in 1980.The vaults are entirely covered with rich and fine stucco decorations in Baroque style the polychrome of the funds have been taken during recent renovations while the frescoes of the time frames and pillars are mostly scenes from the life of the Virgin and they are almost all linked to the workshop by painter Alessandro Gorla and his brothers Bartolomeo,Cristoforo and Girolamo.

 The sculpture of the "Madonna"the Virgin Mary is dated the 15th century, it is inserted in the temple which dominates the main altar, made in 1792 by masters from  Viggiù on a drawing by the Milanese artist Giuseppe Buzzi.The altar of the south aisle retains the most famous painting of the Church,the wooden panel by the master Bartolomeo Suardi said Bramantino, depicting the Flight to Egypt is dated 1520.

In the first Chapel on the north side there is the altarpiece of the Ecstasy of St. Francis, dated the early 17th century and, hanging on the right wall, a painting of the second half of the 17th century, perhaps by the Bologna school school,depicting the Death of the Virgin.

In the second Chapel was added to the wooden group of the Pieta,reassembled and recovering pieces of the late Gothic Chapel consecrated in 1487 and demolished in 1890. That is one of the most remarkable sculptures of 15th century carved wood, polychrome and gilt from Lombardy.

Dated early 16th century is the altarpiece with the Annunciation attributed to Bernardino de Conti, topped by  the image of the Eternal Father,even the front altar frontal with the Announcement of the Archangel Gabriel was part the same set, originally placed on the altar of the oratory of the Annunciation, built between 1499 and 1502 at the foot of the sacred Mount.On the north aisle is placed on the altar of the famous painting by Antonio Ciseri. the transport to the tomb of Christ, painted in 1870  in Florence.That place is something you can not miss during a visit to Locarno something unique in its kind a sublime artistic masterpiece.

The Torre del Comune the Town Hall tower refers to the fortifications built by Luchino Visconti in the 14th century at the foot of a hill, once located near the shore of the lake and it is connected to the beautiful Locarno Gardens with the Kursaal Casino erected in the early 20th century.

 Two other important artistic reminders are the 15th century the Chiesa di Santa Maria in Selva and the Chiesa di Santa Caterina.The Church of Santa Maria in Selva is a medieval building located on the western edge of Locarno,all that remains are the chancel and a bell tower.The nave was demolished in 1884 because was falling.The layout of that Religious construction consists in a rectangular nave and a square choir which was to trace smaller in size very similar to the contemporary of that of  St. Mary of Mercy in Ascona, in a pattern common in the Gothic style of that period.

Santa Maria in Selva is despite that one of the most important monuments of the 15th century survivors in this Swiss area.The choir, slightly rectangular is covered by a vault with ribs highlighted by decorative bands which are included in the written referring to the dedication of the Church.The sails of the roof and three walls are completely covered with murals,part of which are private devotional or votive character as reflected by the presence of arms,inscriptions and portraits of its donors

The iconographic themes of the frescoes and the duties of their respective authors may be so specified,some highlights of that beautiful Church are a magnificent Triumphal arch,the twelve minor prophets,the main vault with the coronation of the Virgin, Saints,Apostles, Evangelists,Prophets and Patriarchs and many paintings as The Nativity,Our Lady of milk, the Trinity, St. John the Baptist Baptists by artists form Lombardy,Tuscany and Northern Italy.

 In the year 1616 the Bishop of Como consecrated a new Church,the Chiesa di Santa Caterina, dedicated to St.Catherine which was erected of the foundation stone of a  former Monastery of Augustinian nuns.The presbytery, with the refined complex decorative stucco is the most artistically important highlight of the Church,they may have been made around the year 1741 as indicated by the date of the frontal altar attributed to Giuseppe Maria Pancaldi.

With that date there is also a relevant fresco by  Orelli consisting in amedal in the vault, depicting the Glory of St. Augustin and by the same author are also attributed some other works such as the altarpiece of the Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine and the painting of the Presentation of Mary at the Temple.

 The famous International Film Festival of Locarno is celebrated in August in the famous square Piazza Grande since 1946.After Cannes and Venice and together with the Czech town of Karlovy Vary and Berlin, Locarno is the Film Festival with the longest history in Europe an iconic site linked to the Cinema industry of course.The top prize of the Festival is the famed  Golden Leopard awarded to the best film in the international competition.


Other awards include the Leopard of Honour for outstanding career achievements.Locarno Film Festival  for its enormous and multi-cultural audience,is an unique launch platform for new films to present worldwide.The most important Cinema Industry professionals can not miss such event,Locarno is an unmissable rendezvous and a landmark in the festival calendar,an invaluable meeting place with the chance and the opportunity to unearth the gems from a challenging selection of world premieres,to take the pulse of new tendencies and exploring new terrain opening up in contemporary cinema.

This important festival awarded prominent stars of Cinema industry such as,Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Michel Piccoli,Susan Sarandon,Federico Fellini Christian Slater,Wim Wenders,Willem Dafoe,Bernardo Bertolucci,Claudia Cardinale,Carmen Maura and many others.Media coverage lives up the promise of the event.

The Festival is closely chronicled by media from all over the world including Le Monde, Libération,Die Welt,The Guardian,The Independent,La Repubblica,Corriere della Sera, El Pais and,all the specialist press including Screen International,The Hollywood Reporter.Le Film Français,Sight and Sound and the whole of the Swiss Press.

The city of Locarno annually hosts other important events, if you love flowers do not miss the Festival of Camellias,Moon and Stars Festival,with concerts of relevant importance and where famous artists performed in past editions such as Eric Clapton Lenny Kravitz,Depeche Mode,Alicia Keys,Avril Lavigne among others.

Another important event which takes place in the old city is the Brocante an event dedicated to the antiques with a participation of people coming from all Europe.Recently Locarno has also hosted the Irish Festival, which offers high level groups.Lovers of Classical music should not miss to Music Weeks performed  in the Churches of the old town offering concerts with philharmonic orchestras and musicians known worldwide and at last Locarno on Ice in winter season.

 Locarno is also a great starting point for many excursions, by boat on Lake Maggiore or visiting  the picturesque nearest valleys.The hills around the city have a vast network of trails.From Cardada which was also accessible from the city centre by cable car and  from Orselina by cable car you can take a multitude of paths enjoying unforgettable excursions.

Cardada is famous meeting place for hikers and  in winter you can ski in the area Cardada -Cimetta which  is an oasis of peace and tranquillity and an ideal place if you also like mountains and trekking.The nearest verdant and splendid Val Verzasca and Vallemaggia are among the best Swiss valley with magnificent natural  landscapes,,furthermore Locarno is very close to the beautiful,glamorous and prestigious Ascona a famed destination along the Swiss coast of Lake Maggiore.(I wrote a post about that famous destination).

The lovers of nature and flowers do not neglect the botanical park Parco delle Camelie the park of camellias,an amazing green area especially during the blooming spring period.Of wild natural beauty is the Orrido di Ponte Broll ,a smooth and deep gorge,the result of the patient working of the river where the water,the time not yet harnessed and tamed by dams Mount,"moans and bubbling, overflowing with so narrow pot," as evidenced by the German-Danish poet Friederik Brun related to that place, who visited in 1795.

Locarno offers the visitor a lively nightlife the Highlights is the famous Casino Kursaal but there are also many trendy bars as Pardo,Bar Sport,La Regina and the Locarno Theatre which offers a relevant calendar of events.The city is a little mecca for shopping as well.Next to Piazza Grande there is the famous Bucherer with jewelry and the best Swiss watches and about jewellery industry Charly Zenger is the oldest jeweller in the Swiss Canton,the best place to find the best about watches such as Rolex,Cartier, Breitling and so on and you can also find several shops with the most exclusive brands.

The local cuisine is excellent in particular in the traditional Crotti,the traditional taverns-restaurants of thee Canton of Ticino you will be delighted by the most typical local gastronomy very similar to the Italian in the counties of Como and Varese and also to that Novara and Verbania.

The risotto is one of the highlights prepared with cheeses but also with mushrooms (the Canton is very rich about that product in its forests) or Luganeghe typical local sausages.The Polenta is another of the most popular plates combined with different plates or prepared with different ingredients,such as cheeses,minced beef meat as a sort of ragu or accompanied by Brasato a sort of beef stew prepared with meat,white wine,laurel,garlic, carrots,celery,pepper,cloves,cinnamon,olive oil and butter or as in Lombardy and Piedmont with the Spezzatino another beef stew prepared with carrot,celery,onion,pepper,butter and in some cases adding a tomato sauce.

In the Canton of Ticino there is also the tradition of pork and grilled or baked meats as chicken,pork,lamb and turkey.One of the popular plate is the Minestrone,a soup which can have as variant rice or pasta,cooked with beans,carrots,onions,celery,tomato and potatoes,other soups are the Zuppa di Zucca, that plate with strong links to the Milanese heritage of the area,prepared with pasta,pumpkin,butter,cheese, milk and salt.

The area is also famous for its homemade salami,the Salame Ticinese has strong affinity with the famous Salame Milano,there is also an excellent ham  Notable is the production of cheeses such as Palü,San Carlo Formaggelle,Grottino,Zincarlin,Robiola, Pressato and as in other Cantons with local cheeses are prepared national plates as the famous Fondue and Raclette.

Notable are the fine wines of that Swiss Canton which thanks a mild climate all year and a favourable soil produces grapes of excellent and high quality.There are local Chardonnay and Sauvignon both white wines with a strong affinity to the Italian white wines,wide is the selection of smooth Rosé,as Rosato and Ibisco,
Iris,Corteglia,Dorale,Chiaretto,a local smooth Merlot are other relevant wines among a long list.
The wine of that Swiss area is highly palatable,including the red wines have that robust body of those grapes healthy,resistent and rich of compounds derived by the climate which with its breezes and many days of sun give flavour and aroma making them wines of significant level.
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Lugano Agno Airport is not very far from Locarno,it is just 45,0 kilometres away from there you can take the shuttle in the Lugano train station to reach Locarno in a very short time or driving in approximately 40 minutes you can reach that destination by A2 Motorway.

Other interesting options are the Italian Airport of Milan Malpensa situated at 124,0 kilometres of distance about one hour and half driving via Como and Lugano on the same mentioned motorway a further is Zurich Flughafen Airport situated at 215,0 kilometres but you can reach Locarno via Motorway in about two hours and twenty minutes.

Locarno with its pleasant aspect it is a great destination in many periods of the year,spring and summer are beautiful to enjoy the lake,autumn is not so cold and romantic with a walk along its elegant promenade,winter can be also another great choice with a very mild weather enjoying all the most important attractions

Southern Switzerland and that Canton offers with the nearest Northern Italy and Lake Maggiore unique sensations,Locarno is wonderful in a perfect cocktail of beautiful nature,a great historical patrimony and along that special and stylish waterfront all is simply magic and fascinating.

 Francesco Mari


 Recommended Hotels in Locarno

 
Hotel Garni Millenium
Hotel Garni Muralto
Hotel Belvedere
Hotel Orselina
Hotel Dell´Angelo
Schlosshotel Locarno
Hotel Mirafiori 
Boutique Hotel La Rinascente

www.locarno.ch
www.millennium-hotel.ch
www.hotelmuralto.ch
www.belvedere-locarno.com
www.hotelcastello.ch
www.villaorselina.ch
www.hotel-dell-angelo.ch
/www.mirafiori.ch
www.larinascente.ch
 www.myswitzerland.com
 www.about.ch
 www.ticino.ch
 www.pardo.ch