Vacations in Ticino_Switzerland — Panoramica Lago MaggioreIsole di Brissago | © Ticino Turismo, photo Christof Sonderegger

Ticino Turismo
Via C. Ghiringhelli 7
6500 Bellinzona

www.ticino.ch

A walk under the spring sun is balm for the soul and awakens the spirits after winter. Fragrant mimosa bushes, the play of colors of camellias,

Magnolias, azaleas, peonies and rhododendrons, well-tended palm gardens and magnificent views of the deep blue Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano - this is what awaits nature lovers on a spring hike in Ticino. Spring begins earlier in the southernmost canton than in the rest of Switzerland: thanks to the mild temperatures, a veritable sea of blossoms shines around the lakes from February onwards.

Panoramic walk Monte Verità - Ronco sopra Ascona
From Monte Verità, cradle of the alternative movement above Ascona, a panoramic high trail leads to Ronco (about two hours). Situated on a rocky terrace between Ascona and Brissago, the place is called "Balcony over Lake Maggiore" because of its fabulously beautiful view. Numerous artists once settled there and found their last resting place in the cemetery, such as Erich Maria Remarque, the author of "Nothing New in the West", and his wife, the actress Paulette Goddard. But also the painter Richard Seewald and the "department store king" Max Emden, former owner of the Brissago Islands, are buried here. A visit to the cemetery is therefore an exciting journey through time. From Ronco, 800 stairs lead down to the lake. Visitors return to Ascona by boat via the Brissago Islands, the botanical garden of Ticino. The lakeside promenade with countless restaurants is the ideal place to celebrate La Dolce Vita, even late into the night.

San Salvatore - Carona - Morcote between nature and culture
A true hiking classic is the approximately ten-kilometer tour from the summit of San Salvatore through chestnut forests, past the artists' village of Carona, down to the lake to Morcote, named Switzerland's most beautiful village in 2016. From Lugano-Paradiso, the funicular takes visitors comfortably to the 912-meter summit. A 360-degree panoramic view awaits excursionists from the roof of the church and the panorama terrace, before heading on comfortable hiking trails through chestnut forests to the artists' village of Carona. Here, a visit to the Parco San Grato garden is worthwhile, where the most extensive and species-rich collection of azaleas, rhododendrons, conifers and conifers in Ticino thrives on its 62,000 square meters. Especially in the months of April and May, the blooming splendor of the botanical garden forms a fragrant, multicolored carpet and becomes a mecca for nature lovers. The journey continues down hundreds of steps to the picturesque town of Morcote on the shores of the lake. A very special atmosphere prevails in the Parco Scherrer located there: in the exotic park created by the cloth merchant Arthur Scherrer in the 1930s, garden lovers marvel not only at plants of the subtropical flora such as camellias, wisterias, oleanders, cedars, cypresses, camphor trees, magnolias or azaleas, but also at architecture and works of art inspired by distant cultures. By boat or bus we return to Lugano.

To the mountain golden rain of Bosco Sacro di Mergugno
At over 1000 meters, above Brissago, is the forest reserve of Bosco Sacro di Mergugno, where an extraordinary plant can be admired: the mountain golden rain. The "sacred forest", with its splendid old specimens, is one of the most beautiful subalpine forests in Switzerland. It is located in the territory of the Locarnese National Park Project and has been under protection since the Middle Ages. A visit is particularly recommended between May and June, when the fragrant butterfly flowers of the laburnum illuminate the forest in yellow and give the surroundings a magical appearance. The starting point of the 8.5-kilometer high-altitude hike is the small parking lot above the village of Mergugno (1,050 meters). From here, follow the signs to Capanna Al Legn until a sign points to Bosco Sacro. A well-maintained path leads up the forest, which thrives up to an altitude of 1,600 meters. Passing Alpe Arolgia, the trail leads to the self-catering hut Capanna Al Legn, which invites you to take a rest at 1,804 meters. Those who are free from giddiness can continue the trail to the summit of the "Ghiridone" (2,188 meters), the highest elevation on the shores of Lake Maggiore. The 360-degree panorama at the iron summit cross quickly makes you forget the exertions of the climb.

Along the shore of Lake Maggiore - from Tenero to the Camellia Park to Locarno
One of the most popular walks on Lake Maggiore is the panoramic path from Tenero to Locarno, along the shore of the Verbano. Numerous Mediterranean and subtropical plant species from all continents thrive along the lakeside promenade. Between artfully arranged flowerbeds and Mediterranean vegetation, sculptures by the artist of the same name can be discovered along the way in the Jean Arp Gardens. The undisputed herald of spring in Ticino is the camellia. The Camellia Park in Locarno, one of the largest and richest in species on our continent, offers an unparalleled spectacle at this time of year. It was inaugurated on the occasion of the World Camellia Congress in 2005 and five years later it was awarded the coveted title of "Garden of Excellence" by the International Camellia Society. It is also part of the "Gardens of Switzerland" initiative, which unites the most beautiful Swiss gardens. On more than 10,000 square meters of space, visitors can enjoy nearly a thousand different camellia varieties. More than 200 camellia varieties will be showcased at Castello Visconteo Castle, accompanied by a cultural program.