Must-see attractions in Lugano

  • Parco Ciani along Lake Lugano in Switzerland.

    Parco Ciani

    Lugano

    This lakefront promenade necklaces the shore of glassy Lago di Lugano, set against a backdrop of rugged mountains. Notice the distinctive profiles of cone…

  • Interior of the church Santa Maria degli Angioli in Lugano, Switzerland.

    Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angioli

    Lugano

    This simple Romanesque church contains two frescos by Bernardino Luini dating from 1529. Covering the entire wall that divides the church in two is a…

  • Museo d'Arte della Svizzera Italiana

    Lugano

    The showpiece of Lugano's striking new LAC cultural centre, the MASI zooms in predominantly on 20th-century and contemporary art – from the abstract to…

  • Monte Brè

    Lugano

    Rising dramatically above Lago di Lugano, the conical peak of Monte Brè (925m) is the trailhead for hiking and mountain-biking trails that afford wide…

  • Luxury chocolate candies

    Schokoland

    Lugano

    Chomp into some cocoa culture at the Alprose chocolate museum, Schokoland – a sure-fire hit with kids. Whiz through chocolate history, watch the sugary…

  • Monte San Salvatore

    Lugano

    Lugano's very own Sugarloaf Mountain, the 912m peak of Monte San Salvatore has riveting 360-degree views over Lago di Lugano and southern Ticino to the…

  • Museo Hermann Hesse

    Lugano

    This museum showcases German-born Swiss poet, novelist and painter Herman Hesse's personal objects, including some of the thousands of watercolours he…

  • Parco Botanico San Grato

    Lugano

    Footpaths thread through these hilltop botanical gardens, which afford sensational lake and mountain views. In May the park is ablaze with the colour of…

  • Piazza della Riforma

    Lugano

    Porticoed lanes weave around Lugano's busy main square, which is presided over by the 1844 neoclassical Municipio (town hall) and is even more lively when…

  • Cattedrale di San Lorenzo

    Lugano

    Lugano’s early-16th-century cathedral conceals some fine frescos and ornate baroque statues behind its Renaissance facade. Out the front are far-reaching…

  • Swissminiatur

    Lugano

    At Swissminiatur you’ll find 1:25 scale models of more than 120 national attractions. It’s the quick way to see Switzerland in a day. Trains run twice…

  • Cherry Building

    Lugano

    Like an abstract work of art, a cherry tree graces the roof of this pink-brick, cubic edifice, the handiwork of much-lauded Ticinese architect Mario Botta.

  • BSí

    Lugano

    Bearing the hallmark of famous Ticinese architect Mario Botta, this striking cluster of buildings was formerly known as the Banca del Gottardo.