Car Hire Lugano - Mini guide to Lugano
Located just 50kms north of Milan, Lugano is the Swiss city with an Italian flair and is the most captivating of Ticino’s lake resorts. Set on a south-facing bay of Lago di Lugano, the city’s panoramic views are framed by wooded, sugar-loaf hills rising from the water.
Lugano is third behind only Zürich and Geneva as a Swiss banking centre. Ancient churches and a clutch of world-class art galleries, including the famous Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, are the main attractions. Even more alluring are the simple pleasure strolls under the lakeside palms alongside the lovely lake. A short bus ride from the city centre, the Villa Favorita is said to contain the second most valuable private art collection in the world (after Queen Elizabeth's).
Lugano’s culture, language and food are Italian, yet its accommodation facilities are spotlessly Swiss. This modern city is home to plenty of shopping malls, cafés, clubs and bars. Lugano now rivals Montreux as a jazz Mecca, with a yearly spring festival that lures big names from around the world.
The entire area of Ticino is gorgeous and best explored by car. The town of Bellinzona (with three impressive castles) makes for a nice daytrip, especially on a Saturday when there is an open-air market. Both Monte Brè to the northeast and San Salvatore to the south are served by funiculars, and both give spectacular views over to the snow-capped Alps. Farther afield, the metropolis of Zürich is just 235km away.
If you're driving, pass through the St Gotthard Tunnel and continue south along N2, via Bellinzona, all the way to Lugano. Crossair provides air links between Aeroporto Lugano and several major cities in Switzerland, Italy and France.
Lugano is a major stop along the rail lines that connect Milan with Zurich. Lugano is linked by bus to dozens of hamlets in the Ticino that lack rail connections. There are also long-range buses that come from Italian cities, including: Como (30 minutes), Venice (five hours) and Milan (1 hour, 30 minutes).
