Lugano summer holidays

Holidays in Lugano

On the top edge of Lake Lugano and 8km from the Italian border, Lugano is often called the ‘Monte Carlo of Switzerland’ which gives you a taste of the town. The San Salvatore and Sighignola mountains provide plenty of scope for hiking and the area also has some of Switzerland’s best MTB thanks to the bike park at Tomaro. Zip-lining is also super fun if you have a need for speed... The pace isn’t always set at full throttle – wander down the promenade or around the Piazza Bernardino Luini. The Renaissance fresco at the Madonna degli Angioli church is probably the best known of its kind in Switzerland.

Highlights: • ‘La freccia rossa’ tourist train • Visit Lake Como & Lake Maggiore • Swim at Lido di Lugano

Lugano Walking

Lugano’s marked hiking trails connect with a network that spans 700km and reaches high into the Prealps – making for gorgeous views of the lake and peaks that surround the town. The 8 mile trek from Monte Tamaro to Monte Lema is pretty easy-going and from its highest point, you can often spy the glint of Lake Maggiore. If you’re after something to stretch you, hop on the bus to Cureggia for a steep ascent to the Bre summit. You can then follow the path to Alpe Bolla, where there’s a pretty grotto and a chapel hidden deep in the woods. There are five themed walks in the San Grato Park; it’s the best area to view the flora, with the largest and most varied collection of azaleas, rhododendrons and conifers of the entire Insubric Region. Back in Lugano there are often regular guided walking tours around the city: we think they’re the best way to gain an insight into the culture and history of the Ticino region.

Lugano Cycling

Lugano has 42 marked runs over an enormous 300km range, which makes it Switzerland's largest MTB zone. There are so many runs to explore here you’ll just keep going and going. The routes are split between street, dirt road and paths – then there’s the downhill track, which is 1610m long with an altitude drop of 382m. It was designed by renowned nutter and multiple Swiss downhill champion Claudio Caluori, so you know it’s difficult. The extensive bike park, masterminded by Ben Walker, has drops, jumps, spines, a step-up, a 45-degree bowl and a wallride. Finally, the kind folks of Lugano have opened up the 2003 Cross Country World Championship circuit for public use. It’s about 5 km long and has a maximum 70 meters altitude difference; the steepest section is optional, but back yourself…

For a gentler cycle, there’s a lovely stretch along the lake from Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angioli. There’s a fantastic bike path called the ‘way of the lake’ which takes you through the city and its surrounding villages – from the centre of town you can cycle up the lake all the way to Davesco before heading back to the town and continuing down the lake to Paradiso and onto Noranco. If the sun’s out, pack a swimsuit as you pass a few bathhouses and lidos on the way.

Shops like Z Bike on Via Vignola have E-Bikes to hire if you want to experience Lugano’s superb bike trails without overdoing it – fitted batteries take some of the strain meaning you can ride further and harder than you usually would.