One of the best decisions of our trip was renting a car to drive around. The trains in Swizterland are supposedly very easy to use and have gorgeous views, but having a car and the freedom to go and see whatever we wanted and whenever we wanted was really great.
We decided to take the long way from Interlaken to Lugano in southern Switzerland, and although it added a few hours to the drive, the views were out of this world. It probably took us an extra 2 hours because of all the stops and off road detours we made!
When we arrived in southern region of Ticino we stopped off in Bellinzona for a coffee and to stretch our legs. Bellinzona is known for it's three castles that overlook the city, and not going to lie they were pretty awesome. Souther Switerland has a lot of Italian influence and the town itself was full of colorful buildings, gelato, and locals speaking Italian. It was the perfect introduction this region and even though we only spent an hour or so there, it was totally worth the stop.
When we finally arrived in Lugano we were blown away. It felt like we were in a completely different part of the world, and the weather was warm and tropical, which was a nice change after the stormy weather we had been having. We walked through Parco Civico on the northern part of town, which had beautiful grounds and a view of the lake. We ate pizza at Ristorante Olympia, which was right on off the lake in a busy square with great people watching.
My favorite part of Lugano were the views. On our last morning there we drove up Monte Bre to "hike" (15 minutes from the town, max) up to a hotel that sits on a hill overlooking the entire lake. We drank coffee and took in the views and amazing weather. It was pretty perfect.
The main reason we came down to this area was so we could visit Lake Como, but being able to explore Lugano and get a feel for the culture was a nice little surprise along the way.
Post Comment
Post a Comment