Switzerland is indeed very expensive, but the attitudes to money you find there (the great blessing of our time) do give it a certain charm. And, unlike in Italy, you experience good old Swiss efficiency, just with a Lombard accent. I spent a day in Lugano recently visiting the churches, museums, and even getting tickets for a concert in the evening at LAC. The bill for the parking garage, the restaurants and cafes, and the seats in the back of the (excellent) concert hall came to nearly $500. No hotel there either... At least there is LOTS more sun than north of the Alps.
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As with all of Switzerland, Lugano and Ticino seem to operate on 2 currencies, you have the gastronomic restaurants, luxury hotels and shops, frequented by the wealthy Swiss, and you have the small grottos, farm restaurants, mountain huts, and wineries where the real locals go. We spent a week in Ticino last fall and loved the contrast, while resting comfortably at the 5* Castello del Sole on Lago Maggiore, we explored off-the-beaten-path with a guide from www.epiceurope.com, and the experience was unforgettable: Ridgeline hike with a lunch of wild-game and polenta overlooking Lago Lugano, tasting local wine varietals in Sementina after a tour of the incredible UNESCO medieval castles in Bellinzona, e-biking in the aptly named Val Maggia, exploring the small grottos only accessible by boat across the lake from Lugano, and visiting Morcote - without a doubt one of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland.
You could easily spend a week here, and avoid the hoards of tourists on Lake Como.
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I enjoyed visiting Lugano years ago but staying in the much more affordable Menaggio, Italy.
Also, can't the Times deal correctly with possessives and contractions? "Santa Maria degli Angioli, with it’s frescoes by Bernardino Luini" should say "its frescoes".
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I visited for a long weekend while living in Zürich, mid 1980s. I truly enjoyed my time there. Beautiful town in a fabulous location. No American fast food back then, thankfully. Whether at home or abroad my most enjoyable trips are when I enjoy the small family establishments, and meet the locals so I can immerse myself in the culture and find out the about the small hidden gems.
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correction: The English-speaking church was paid for by regular visiting patrons, including the Queen of Romania ( a British noblewoman who had turned down George V in her time), the Archbishop of Canterbury’s sister-in-law Mrs C Benson and the Countess Marie Bismarck.
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@Jennifer. for people who are curious, the church, built in 1912, was modelled on the Church of St John in Jerusalem. It is just up the long steps from the LAC Arts Centre. More info on www.stedwards.ch
I've been to Lugano many times; it's a wonderful little town. Stay at the Walter on the lake (normal $180 or so a night) with breakfast (best ever) and overlooking the lake in the center of town. There are literally 2-dozen watch shops on that street (via Nassa) right behind the lake and hotel. Have ice-cream at Piazza Riforma in the middle of of it at the Federale and enjoy people watching. Caffe Caruso seems nice, it used to be something else, but it's right were I use the ATM...LOL Enjoy the atmosphere of the massive piazza instead.
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This article simply confirms my opinion of Switzerland: ridiculously expensive. 130 s.f. (about $135) for lunch for two? You have got to be joking. At those prices you better be planning to sleep in your car. Except that it's so expensive to park a car in Lugano, you better arrive by train and plan to leave the same day you arrive. Been there, done that. Won't be going back.
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Yes, Switzerland is expensive for tourists in comparison to their home countries. However, average wages are also 2-3 times higher. Higher wages means higher prices for food and services. It’s simple mathematics! I can assure you that most restaurants and hotels are not profitable enterprises and barely survive.
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Lugano is wonderful, but I would stay in Carona, an ancient and picturesque mountain village with easy bus access into the city. And there are great restaurants in Carona as well as the Parco San Grato, horticulture with fabulous views.
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Hi, thanks for publicity, but I live in Lugano and Mr. Ferren only describe one side of the town and forget a lot of others spots... Lugano is nice to visit as a tourist, but not to live there... It is good in summer, forget the rest of the year: it's a ghost town, too expensive, quiet nothing "alternative" offers, chic but provincial, too much "italian style" despite "swiss style", noisy, too many cars, no bycicle lanes, difficult human interaction, a lot of old people and so on...
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Did you really get yourself a second-hand watch?
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I have never been to the Italian part of Switzerland, but I am very interested in going thereto on my next Italian trip. I am particularly interested in the architectural work of the Swiss architext Mario Botta, who has had built several of his design in Ticino.
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Thank goodness most folks looking for a less Americanized visit will not be ordering a Starbucks coffee or a Big Mac. (Who does this while in Switzerland??) These things are "imports" - try the local fare as it is wonderful and a much better value!
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Oh, I believe that the Swiss Riviera is more accurately the Geneva - Lausanne - Montreux crescent...
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@JH3
Not exactly! There is no term “Swiss Riviera”. The term you are thinking of is “Vaudois Riviera” which refers to the area at the eastern end of the lake, from Vevey to Villeneuve because of its micro climate. Palm trees growoutside there year round.
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My daughter spent 4 years at Franklin University in Lugano. Franklin University is a gem of a school fully accredited in the USA and Switzerland. Amazing experience.
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@Barb Miles me too! Class of '92 Lugano città del mio cuore
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@Barb Miles My wife and I met at Franklin. It was way back when, when it was Franklin College. We are sure that your daughter had a wonderful, exciting and life changing experience. And we love Lugano!
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@Barb Miles I went to TASIS the high school part in Montagnola in the mid-60's - a wonderful place
I was born in Lugano and my grandparents lived there when I was growing up. July is a great moth to be there when the Estivaljazz festival takes place and you can spend the afternoon at the lido (https://www.ticino.ch/en/commons/details/Lido-di-Lugano/1501.html ).
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Spent a day there in April. Beautiful lakeside city. But like most places in Switzerland, don't go on a Sunday. All shops are closed and the city centre feels like a ghost town.
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Not trying to burst anyone's bubble, but Lugano can have more of a city feel than that of a quaint Swiss village. And not to forget that Switzerland is an expensive country, if you don't earn your money there: 13,50 Swiss Franc (USD 14) for a Big Mac in Lugano this summer, to get some perspective.
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@Ralf Thiele
Ain't that the truth. We were blown away by the price of a regular cup of joe––approximately six bucks––at a Starbucks in Zürich.
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@Taz Yes. life is tough, is it not?
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@Ralf Thiele
Not in my wildest dreams/nightmares would I ever consider having a Big Mac in Lugano.
Look for some local food, or if you have little money go to a supermarket and make your own swiss/italian meal.
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So lovely! But don't forget the springtime Lugano Music Festival, featuring the "Martha Argerich Projetto." QUOTE: "...the charismatic Argentinian pianist, Martha Argerich, has succeeded in creating a kind of musical laboratory..the know-how of famous artists merge with that of fresh young talent is a truly remarkable experience." https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/lugano-festival-martha-argerich-proj...
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Lugano is a great place to visit and to move to (if you can afford it), but it is not the capital of Ticino, Bellinzona is.
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Actually, Bellinzona is the capital of the Canton Ticino, and Italian is also spoken in some parts of the Canton Graubünden (Grigioni), otherwise: the frescoes in the church of Santa Maria degli Angioli are indeed spectacular.
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@B Baumer
That is correct. Bellinzona is Ticino’s capitol and there are FOUR Italian speaking valleys in Graubunden.
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