St Moritz, Graubünden & the Southeast - Discover Switzerland: Experience the Best of Switzerland - page 549

Locarno
POP 15,200 / ELEV 205M
With its palm trees and much-vaunted 2300 hours of sunshine a year, Locarno has attrac-
ted pasty northerners to its warm, Mediterranean-style setting since the late 19th century.

Sights

CITTÀ VECCHIA
Locarno's Italianate Old Town fans out from Piazza Grande , a photogenic ensemble of
arcades and Lombard-style houses. A craft and fresh-produce market takes over the
square every Thursday. From here, narrow lanes thread north to the baroque-gone-mad
Chiesa Nuova (Via Cittadella) , guarded by a giant bas-relief St Christopher and with cher-
ubs and stucco smothering its pastel-painted interior. Standing proud on fountain-dotted
Piazza Sant'Antonio, the Chiesa di Sant'Antonio is best known for its altar to the Cristo
Morto (Dead Christ).

| Neighbourhood

CASTELLO VISCONTEO
(Piazza Castello; adult/child Sfr7/5; 10am-noon & 2-5pm Tue-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat & Sun Apr-mid-Nov)
Named after the Visconti clan that long ruled Milan, this stout 15th-century castle's nucle-
us was raised around the 10th century. It now houses a museum with Roman and Bronze
Age exhibits.

| Castle

Activities

The lakefront is made for aimless ambles, or rent an e-bike (Sfr29 per day) from the tour-
ist office to explore further.

Sleeping

CAFFÈ DELL'ARTE $$
( 091 751 93 33; www.cafedellarte.ch ; Via Cittadella 9; d Sfr149-189; ) Sublime details like
gilded Venetian mirrors, chandeliers, frescos and zebra-stripe fabrics lend character to the
wood-floored rooms at this B&B.

| B&B

VECCHIA LOCARNO $ | Guesthouse