Lugano

A gateway to the Mediterranean facet of Switzerland, Lugano is a humble town and a stylish city at the same time. Situated on the northern side of Lake Lugano, this place is the closest one can get to Italy from Switzerland. And there are times when you will be majorly confused as to which country you actually are in. With sacred buildings, fancy villas, parks, arcades and even financial centres, this Italian-speaking town in the Ticino region attracts tourists from all over the world. I took a day-trip to Lugano and clearly remember eating the best pizza of my life in a cosy ristorante. While I shared my large pizza with two other people, the skinny lady on the table next to mine polished off the same entirely on her own.

Lugano has a little something for everyone right from nature lovers to the art connoisseurs. The two closest mountains to Lugano, Monte Brè and Monte San Salvatore give you a spectacular panorama of the town, the alpine scenery and Lake Lugano as a matter of course. If you arrive in Milan, Italy, you are approximately an hour away from Lugano by road. There are bus services connecting Malpensa Airport (Milan) to Lugano which drop passengers off at the main station. A faster option is to catch a train from Milan to Lugano. And for those travelling within Switzerland, the best idea is to take a train from Zurich to this border town. Enjoy the Mediterranean experience to your heart’s content.