Fun things to do in Lugano

Lugano's town hall is located at Piazza Riforma. It is a neoclassical building from 1844. I thought the yellow colour very remarkable. Although it is so elegant and has many pretty features, the town hall is so big that it is also quite imposing. Look out for the statues adorning the façade!

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Sant' Antonio is a very interesting church in the centre of Lugano, a little further away from the lakefront. It is a big church that looks very massive from the outside and even a little harsh. I found it to be very different compared to the other churches in Lugano. The interior fits this atmosphere: When we visited, it was quite dark and not very inviting, but still very interesting.

The church was built in the 17th century, although the belfry is only from 1914.

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Hop on to Bernina express bus from Lugano station and connect to the Bernina Express train from Tirano to Chur. It is a dream spectacular journey amidst some of the most beautiful landscapes. The route is much better than the one used by the Glacier Express.

The whole journey is around 8 hrs with an hour connecting time at the Italian town of Tirano (yummy Gelatto ice cream available right outside the Bernina Express train station). The time just passes as the scenery is engrossing and refreshing.

Prior reservations is required for the journey and can be made through the following website: www.rhb.ch Email: reservation@rub.ch

I got the reservation after being on wait list, in spite of making a request 4 months in advance.

During the period from 28 of June to 8 August, at Lugano outside pool and beach, the city organizes the outside cinema.

It's a great experience to watch a movie outside, specially with really dark sky and shining stars.
Check out the website (only in italian), for tickets and movie list.

Villa Malpensata which today houses the Museo d'Arte Moderna of the City of Lugano was built in the first half of the 18th century.

After various transformations and extensions, it was acquired by the Caccia family in 1845. The son Antonio, a writer and art collector inherited the Villa and, on his death in 1893, he left it (and all the paintings, sculptures and objets d'art it contained) to the City of Lugano with the wish that it be made into a museum. For the longest time, the fate of the Villa appeared uncertain until, in 1967, it was decided to restore it and convert it into a museum.

From 1973 until its reopening in 1990, the Villa Malpensata put on a hundred or so exhibitions of widely varying kinds, both from the point of view of the subjects as that of the organization.

Blues to Bop makes a great impression on our town, emphasising the beauty not only of the four piazzas where concerts are held, but also the lakeside promenade and the whole historical centre.

It is the town itself that reflects and intensifies the joyous energy created by the thousands of spectators as bustle about their business of enjoying the wide range of musical styles on offer

Take the road direction Rivera and when you reach the highway entrance, there you are.
In the middle of a big field you will see a cable car station that will bring you right on top of Monte Tamaro.

A spectacular trip changing between civilization and wild valleys.
The pre alpine trip Lema-Tamaro, practicable on both ways, is one of the most beautiful excursions of the Swiss pre Alps, on the border between Ticino and Italy. The spectacular view you enjoy during this walk sweeps through the Lago Maggiore, the Centovalli, the Valle Maggia, the Val Verzasca and Locarno to Bellinzona in the North, while on the south the view opens to Lugano, with his valleys and on the lake. And the highlights are the Alps in the background with Monte Rosa and Matterhorn.

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We took a choo-choo train around town but jumped off when we saw a funicolare to the top of Monte San Salvatore. A cable car went halfway up the mountain and then all the passengers switched to a gondola to the top. Luckily, no clouds blocked our views, and we could see Milan in the distance. We also took a 2-hour tour boat and saw great views of cities and cliffs all around the lake.