Truth be told, Lake Lugano is one of those places where you look at the photos and think “Oh, it's so beautiful”, but then you realize when you get there - this place is not something you can experience by taking pictures. It's too relaxed, too slow, like an old soul who knows how to live, nothing gimmicky, but everything about it. I spent two full days at Lake Lugano, stepped on some potholes and found quite a few surprises. This is a guide for you to avoid the thunder + planting grass. If you only arrange a day or two, want to play the value and do not take the wrong way, this can help you save a lot of heart.
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First of all, the temperament. Although Lake Lugano is geographically in Switzerland, you will not feel the traditional Swiss style of glaciers, cows and clocks. It is more like an extension of Italy: people speak Italian, there are a lot of street cafes, and old men and women walking along the lake slowly sunbathe, read books and drink wine. It's not as if the city is supported by “tourist attractions”, but by an atmosphere that makes you want to take a deep breath when you're there.
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Historically, the city has also been influenced by Italian culture, so in Lugano, you will see a mix of Swiss rules and Italian romance: trains run on time by the second, but people are happy to slow down; the lakeside gardens are handmade, but every bench is overcrowded.
If you don't want to go on a tour, Lake Lugano actually has a few points that are particularly worth visiting, and if you arrange the order, you can play down very smoothly in a day.
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1. Lake cruise: do not skip, so worth it!
The lake is super quiet, boat is the most comfortable way to see Lake Lugano. It is recommended to buy a day ticket, you can get on and off the boat unlimited times. The main route starts from the center of Lugano and stops at a few lakeside villages and towns on the way, such as Gandria and Morcote.
The pitfall I stepped on was that I wanted to save time at the beginning and went straight back the same way without getting off the boat, and ended up missing a lot of interesting towns. It is highly recommended that you get off the boat at Gandria and Morcote and walk around. Gandria is the kind of very steep and narrow mountain town, full of stone houses, especially like the medieval version of Little Italy; and Morcote is quiet and literary, is the kind of fairy town suitable for wedding photography.
2. Monte Brè: the best view of the lake
If the boat ride is “close” to the lake, then the cable car ride up Monte Brè is “overlooking” the lake.
From the top of the mountain, the whole of Lake Lugano looks like a blue jewel nestled in a green valley, as clear as a postcard. You can take the cable car up to the top and then walk a short distance from the top of the mountain back to the station in the middle section. This path is especially pleasant in the summer, with shade from the trees, soft dirt underfoot, and you can hear birds chirping and bells ringing in the distance along the way.
3. Parco Ciani: a garden in the center of Lugano where you can laze around.
Parco Ciani in the center of Lugano is highly recommended, and be sure to spare an hour for it. Not one of those touristy parks that pave the way, but a green space by the lake that's a local favorite. The grass is exceptionally large, the flowers and plants are well manicured, and kids run, adults walk their dogs, and couples sit on benches and sunbathe ...... It feels like you've fallen into a European movie.
You can eat ice cream here, look at the reflection of the lake, or just lie down and read a book, listen to a song, completely empty time.
If you don't have much time, it's more comfortable to organize it like I did:
9am: leave Lugano and take the boat to Gandria, stopping to hang out on the shore.
11am: continue by boat to Morcote and have lunch in the town (highly recommend the lakeside restaurant with grilled fish and Risotto).
3pm: return to downtown Lugano, take the cable car up to Monte Brè for a panoramic view.
5:30 pm: walk downhill to Ciani Park, walk around the lake or sit on the grass.
7pm: dinner in the center of the city in an open-air restaurant with a great view of the lake.
A little reminder:
Boat schedules are not very tight, so we recommend you to check the schedule on the website in advance.
Some boat trips are very crowded, so if you want to sit by the window, you should get on the boat early.
Cable car and boat tickets can be purchased on site, but online booking is also available.
Wear good shoes, Gandria and Morcote have many slopes and narrow roads.
Transportation:
Lugano is easily accessible by train from Zurich or Milan, about an hour or so.
The city is very comfortable to walk around and most of the sights can be reached by foot or public transportation
Boat ticket reference price:
About 10-20 Swiss francs one way, depending on the route.
It is recommended to buy a day ticket (about 38 Swiss francs), you can get on and off the boat several times.
Cable car ticket price:
Monte Brè round trip ticket is about 25 Swiss francs, you can buy the ticket on the spot.
There is also a restaurant at the top of the mountain with a superb view but slightly more expensive (coffee from 5 CHF).
Eating recommendations:
Ristorante della Torre on the shores of Lake Morcote, great grilled lake fish.
Bottegone del Vino in downtown Lugano, very popular with the locals.
Recommended Season:
April to October, when the weather is sunny and the lake is blue.
Avoid winter, when the lake is windy and some boat trips are closed.
No need to fill up your itinerary, no need to hit every hour. Lake Lugano is the most valuable place, not in the “must see what”, but in how you “to feel”. A boat ride, a moment's silence, a meal by the lake, is far more memorable than a frantic photo shoot. I wrote down all I have traveled and tried, I hope that when you come here, you do not have to step on the pits I stepped on, just enjoy the calmness of the lake.
