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Welcome to Southern Switzerland -
The Ticino (Italian Switzerland)
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Ascona Cafe in the Spring
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Ascona village and fishing harbor with cafes
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Ascona park-on-the-point with childrens' amusements.
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Less than an hour north of Milan Airport in Italy, the Ticino is now part of Switzerland but once was a remote and inaccessible part of old Italy.
Since the advent of a freeway from Milan which not only passes through the Ticino but through a 17 kilometer tunnel through the Kiber pass into northern Switzerland, the beauties of the Ticino have been opened up to us all.
The Ticino enjoys the best of Switzerland and the best of Italy, Palm trees and citrus flourish, the trains run on time, the landscape and towns are spotless and the skies are blue and the sun blazes down even in winter.
Lakes abound as do stone villages clinging to steep mountain sides. The mountains are not the Tyrolian variety. These are more spartan. In the winter they are capped with snow which lasts well into the Spring.
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The food today is centered around Italian varieties with a pinch of various other European influences thrown in. Olive oil from Italy is used with precision, their wines are very special especially the whites made from red wine grapes. Fresh vegetables are grown on the terraced hillsides (as are the wines) and fresh fish from all around Italy arrives within 12 hours of being caught.
Lugano is a banking center with a very cosmopolitan crowd as resident and passing through. Ascona is a holiday village. Both are filled with the pastel buildings of Italy. The villages and towns are small and perfect for pedestrians, not so great for cars! Bicycles are a good bet.
Cafes are everywhere and the weather even in winter makes them popular. Golf, boating, skiing, hiking, hang-gliding, windsurfing, shopping and eating are all here in abundance.
For more >>>
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Museum art exhibit in the streets of Lugano
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Waterfront park with the curve of Lugano
in the distance and the snow covered mountaings
in the far distance
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Street market, Lugano.
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Link to the Ticino Tourist Office Web Site: http://www.ticinoinfo.ch
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Lugano
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Hotel Villa Principe Leopoldo, Lugano, Switzerland (Ticino) *****
One of the loveliest hotels in Switzerland, even Europe. Top quality suites and public rooms, everything you could require at your fingertips, and breathtaking views of Lake Lugano. A beautifully balanced mix of traditional and modern decore. Excellent restaurant (see below)
click on photo for more -
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Restaurant of Hotel Villa Principe Leopoldo, Lugano, Switzerland (Ticino)
For all the attractions of the Villa Principe Leopoldo, the restaurant is one of its main draws. Both the main restaurant of the hotel and the bistro at the hotel's three star younger brother across the street are run by Chef Dario Ranza, an Italian by ancestry, but Swiss by family, training and spirit.
Three and a half Chef Rating.
click on photo for more-
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Hotel Splendide Royal, Lugano, Switzerland (Ticino) *****
One of the loveliest old world hotels in Switzerland, even Europe. Located within walking distance of the center of town and right on the lake with views that are truely spectacular. Traditional style and gracious service. Comfortable rooms and suites. Excellent restaurant (see below)
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Restaurant of Hotel Splendide Royal, Lugano, Switzerland (Ticino)
Manager Aniello Lauro has brought his refined Italian tastes to this hotel that had been serving traditional French when he became the Director. He has brought in excellent tastes from Italy and the restaurant is worth visiting even if your are not staying at the hotel.
Three and a half Chef Rating.
click on photo for more-
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Santabbondio Restorante, Sorengo-Lugano, Switzerland (Ticino)
The cuisine of chef Martin Dalsass is a delight of Italian Mediterranean flavors rendered with the culinary discipline found in Switzerland and supported by Chef Martin Dalsass's passion for the gastronomic intricacies of the wide range of tastes available in olive oils.
four Chef Rating.
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Hotel (Albergo) Giardino - Ascona, Switzerland (Ticino) *****
This adorable hotel in the quiet residential area of Ascona in the Ticino is the perfect place to really unwind and relax. The Giardino is set just outside of this petite lake side village. It is quiet and peaceful with an eighteen hole golf course on one side and residential housing on the other. Its' flower drenched entrance sets the feeling of holiday and as you check in sitting down the warm welcome of a glass of delicious sparkling wine.
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Ristorante Aphrodite - Hotel (Albergo) Giardino - Ascona, Switzerland (Ticino)
The restaurant Aphrodite of the Relais & Chateaux Hotel Giardino is rated at 17/20 by the guide book GaultMillau. We really wish we could agree whole heartedly with them, but while many of the dishes are indeed excellent, the service friendly and professional, the chef delightful and the culinary orientation modern and innovative, too many of the dishes that we were served did not quite live up to the way they looked. But we are finicky eaters and none of the dishes were anything less than acceptable if not perfectly executed.
Three Chef Rating.
click on photo for more -
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Ristorante Ostgeria Giardino - Ascona, Switzerland (Ticino)
When you are in Ascona or even Locarno nearby, and you lust after a good quality, authentic Italian meal, then head directly to Ristorante Ostgeria Giardino. The food is well prepared and very even in quality, made with good quality ingredients and all are tastey and filling. They are essentially simple Italian dishes but prepared with sophistication.
Two Chef Rating.
click on photo for more -
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Click map below to see larger version.
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Map of Italy and Switzerland showing the location of the Ticino.
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Click map below to see larger version.
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Map of the Ticino showing Ascona and Lugano.
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