Lugano, the largest town in the holiday region of Ticino, is not only Switzerland's third most important financial centre and a conference, banking and business centre, but also a town of parks and flowers, villas and sacred buildings. With Mediterranean flair, Lugano offers all the advantages of a world-class city, combined with the cachet of a small town.

Lugano lies in a bay on the northern side of Lake Lugano, surrounded by numerous mountains offering splendid viewpoints. The traffic-free historic town centre, the numerous buildings in Italianate Lombardy style, the exclusive museums, the mountains, lake and a packed calendar of events all invite visitors to see the sights, soak up the atmosphere – and enjoy "dolce far niente". Thanks to its mild climate, Lugano is a popular tourist destination in the spring when the camellias are in bloom.  
  
The town centre with its Mediterranean-style squares and arcades, and numerous parks with sub-tropical plants such as the Parco Civico on the shores of the lake invite you to laze around, enjoying the atmosphere. By the lakeside promenade are the Belvedere Gardens, where the parkland boasts not only camellias and magnolias but also countless sub-tropical plants and modern works of art.  
  
Art connoisseurs are attracted to this city of art and architecture by the high standard of the exhibitions it hosts. In the MASI (Museo d’Arte della Svizzera Italiana) are paintings by Klee, Jawlensky, Renoir and Degas, among others. In the last 50 years, the Ticino region, and Lugano in particular, have developed into an important region for architecture. The most well-known representatives of the "Ticino School" are Luigi Snozzi and Mario Botta. EFG Bank AG, the Palazzo Ransila (Via Pretorio) and his own workshop on the Via Ciani are good examples.  
  
The two closest mountains to Lugano, Monte San Salvatore and Monte Brè, give you an outstanding panorama of the town, Lake Lugano and the alpine scenery. From Monte Brè there is a walk down to the village of Brè, which has preserved its typical Ticino village centre, and enhanced it with works of art. From the San Salvatore another popular walk leads down through the beautifully situated Carona to Lake Lugano at Morcote. Taking a boat trip back to Lugano is a splendid way to round off the day. Other excursions are to the fishing village of Gandria, up the Monte San Giorgio or the Monte Generoso or to the Lilliput world of Switzerland in Miniature at Melide.

Enjoy the Mediterranean temperatures, palm and olive trees. If you really want to relax, just sit at a table in one of the squares. And do what everyone does here: eat, chat and enjoy life.

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Lugano

The Piazza della Reforma is Lugano’s main square and is an inviting place for tourists and locals to relax as they enjoy the many bistros and restaurants.

In 1798, Piazza Grande witnessed a battle between the Cisalpini and the Volontari Luganesi, who won Ticino’s independence from the central government established by Napoleon. One year later, in 1799, Piazza Grande staged another historical event: the massacre of Abbot Vanelli, editor of the Gazzetta di Lugano, a progressive newspaper printed at this square by typographer Agnelli.  
  
Palazzo Civico, the seat of the city hall, was built only later, in the years 1842-1844. Due to its location in Piazza della Riforma, further political events took place here. Around 1870, under the Garini arcades, the conservatives made of the newly opened Caffè Federale their meeting place, where liberals clearly were least welcome.

Piazza della Riforma - Lugano