Locarno

April to October is the best time. May and June are green and warm. July and August are hot and busy, and the Locarno Film Festival is in August. September is pleasant, with warm lake water. Winter is mild but can be grey. Spring and autumn can bring heavy rain.

• Santuario della Madonna del Sasso is a pilgrimage church on a rock above the town. A funicular or a path with chapels leads up to it. The view over the lake is the main reward.
• Castello Visconteo is a medieval castle in the old town. It holds a small museum.
• Casa Rusca, Pinacoteca comunale is a small art museum in the old town.
• Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi is a Renaissance church near the old town.
• Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta is a church near the castle.
• Cimetta is a mountain top above Locarno. A cable car goes up, with views over the lake and the Alps.
• Ponte sospeso Cardada is a suspension bridge on the mountain above the town.

• Walk the lakeside promenade, or sit at a café on the big square, Piazza Grande.
• Take the funicular to Santuario della Madonna del Sasso and walk down along the chapel path.
• Visit Museo civico archeologico Castello Visconteo for Roman glass and local history.
• Take the cable car up to Cimetta for hiking and views.
• Watch an open-air film on Piazza Grande during the festival in August.
• Swim or rent a boat on Lake Maggiore.

• Ascona is a lake village with a colourful promenade. It is about 10 minutes away by bus.
• Bellinzona has three medieval castles that are a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is about 20 minutes away by train.
• Lugano is the largest city in Ticino, about 1 hour away by train.
• Maggia Valley is a green valley with river pools and villages.
• The Brissago Islands are two small islands with a botanic garden. Boats leave from Locarno.

• Ascona lies next to Locarno on the lake.
• Bellinzona and Lugano are the other main towns of Ticino.
• Maggia Valley begins north-west of the town.

• By air: the nearest main airports are Zurich and Milan. Zurich is about 2.5 hours by train.
• By train: trains run from Zurich and Lugano via Bellinzona. Check times on SBB.
• The Centovalli railway runs from Locarno to Domodossola in Italy and is a scenic ride.

• The old town and promenade are easy to walk.
• Local buses link Locarno with Ascona and the villages around the lake.
• A funicular goes up to the Madonna del Sasso, and a cable car goes to Cardada and Cimetta.
• Hotel guests in Ticino receive a free public transport card. Ask at check-in.
• Boats cross Lake Maggiore to Brissago and Italian towns in the warm months.

• A car is not needed for the town. Parking in the centre is limited, and car parks are near the lake.
• A car can help for the Maggia Valley and the side valleys. Mountain roads are narrow.
• Traffic can be heavy in summer and on weekends.

The food is Italian-Swiss. Try risotto with local mushrooms, polenta and Ticino cheese. Merlot from Ticino is the local red wine. Grotti are traditional stone taverns in the valleys, where simple meals are served outside.

Cafés on the piazza are a place for coffee in the sun. Prices are high compared with northern Italy.

• Locarno is very safe.
• Watch your bags in the crowded centre during the film festival.
• Tap water is safe to drink.
• Summer can be hot and humid. Drink water and use sun protection on the lake.

Locarno became part of the Swiss Confederation in the 16th century. In 1925 the town hosted the Locarno Treaties, a set of agreements that aimed to keep peace in Europe after the First World War.

The pilgrimage church was founded in 1480 after a vision of the Virgin Mary. The film festival started in 1946 and now draws visitors every August.

Quick practical facts for Switzerland at a glance: