Lugano (loo-GAH-no; pop. 53,000), Switzerland’s third largest banking center, rests on Lake Lugano in a valley between the San Salvatore and Monte Brè mountain peaks. Though it officially joined the Swiss Confederation in 1803, the town still feels like part of the Italian famiglia due to its shop-filled cobblestone streets and arcade-lined piazze. Influence by Italy since the Roman era, Lugano today is a popular spot for Swiss retirees and young travelers alike.
To reach Lugano from Menaggio take bus #1 (€4) from V. Borgo Vico into Chiasso, on the border with Switzerland. Walk uphill to reach the train station, on V. Motta (☎ 091 058 122 792 33; www ...more
Inexpensive accommodations are nearly impossible to find near the lake, where hotels with a view of the water tend to charge 250CHF and up for double rooms. View-touting budget accommodations should ...more
Housed in a lakeside villa, the Museo delle Cultura, V. Cortivo 24-28, showcases cultural artifacts, like carved masks and statues, from Africa, Oceania, and Indonesia. From the tourist office, take ...more
Music fills Lugano’s piazze year-round. Summer heat ushers in Lungolago ai Pedoni every Friday and Saturday evening, featuring classical and Latin music concerts as well as cabaret shows by the lake ...more
The dock for the Società Navigazione del Lago di Lugano, V. Castagnola 12 (☎ 091 97 15 223; www.lakelugano.ch) is across the street from the tourist office. Tours of Lake Lugano pass tiny, lakeside ...more
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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