This was a fabulous surprise trip my husband took me on for my birthday: We flew into Zurich and took a 3 hour train down to Switzerland….. we began in Locarno-spent 2 nights and ended our trip touring through Como for 3 nights. Another way to come in is through Milan, which is @ 90 min. car drive to Locarno. If the thought of organizing your own travel through Italy is overwhelming, visit Discover Italy, for guided tours.
LUGANO:
HOTEL: Belvedere- We loved this place, it was a small and quaint 4 star hotel on lake Maggiore and each room has a small balcony overlooking the lake and mountains. Another great feature of this hotel is that it is a 5 minute walk to Old Town and it has a tram/funicular from the hotel down to the lake or up the mountain to Madonna Del Sasso (a Catholic sanctuary and pilgrimage church where a vision of the Virgin Mary appeared in 1480). Even though Locarno is in Switzerland, the food, language & ambience is Italian!
SIGHTS:
*Hiking- There are various hikes in the area. There is one recommended that is along the Verzasca Valley from near Corippo at the bottom to Sonogno at the top, facilitated by use of the valley bus. This hike includes a bridge and trails through a chestnut forest. Another hike is accessed by taking the cable car to the top and then the chairlift to the Cimmetta Summit, to have views that are above the tree line.
*Madonna del Sasso- You can reach the church by the funicular or walking up the mountain which should take about 30 minutes on the path. The complex holds a three dimensional version of the last supper, gardens, ornate structures and amazing views.
*Piazza Grande-You can spend much of time here, perusing the shops, having a cafe, devouring pizza and people watching. There is also a little theater that has some programs worth seeing.
FOOD:
*Cittadella- We dined here for my birthday dinner and it was wonderful. It is a cozy Italian restaurant known for it’s fish. We ordered the fish baked in sea salt and it was really delish……
COMO & IT’S SURROUNDINGS:
HOTEL: Regina Olga- There are many hotels in the area and all of them can be quite pricey so we went with a moderate option because we preferred to spend our money on restaurants and shopping. This hotel was perfect for what we wanted, it was in Cernobbio, on the lake, had an antique feel but with modern amenities including a pool, a terraza bar and all the rooms have balconies. We also wanted to be in Cernobbio because there were some restaurants recommended in this part. It is next door to the famous Villa d’Este, which is a luxury hotel with amazing amenities and views, but very pricey!
SIGHTS: (Regular ferry services connect most of the towns around the lake including Cernobbio, Bellagio, Como, Menaggio, etc.)
*BELLAGIO– This was my favorite area of Como! You can take a boat from each port on the lake and Belaggio was a place to get lost and wander the cobblestone streets all day, stopping at various cafes for lunch or gelato. It is also one of the more picturesque places, even though most places on the lake are absolutely beautiful. Bellagio also holds the famous Villa Serbelloni, which is known for it’s beautiful gardens.
*COMO– This is a larger town that holds a funicular, a cathedral-Duomo in the Piazza, amazing shopping and Butti (which has wholesale designer hand bags).
*CERNOBBIO– We stayed here and loved all the food options in this town!
—Il Gatto Nero–This place was highly recommended by tripadvisor and friends and it is known as one of George Clooney’s favorite restaurants. I can see why…..we had a candlelit table on a veranda big enough for just 2 people overlooking the lake and savored every bite. Definitely worth a visit!!!
—Restorante Albergo–We had a great meal here and loved the ambience, rustic, warm and inviting. They are known for their pizza.