Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
adult/reduced Sfr8.50/7; 10am-6.30pm Mar-Oct, to 5.30pm Sat & Sun Nov-Feb)
. Personal objects, some
of the thousands of watercolours he painted in Ticino, books and other odds and ends help
recreate something of Hesse's life.
From Lugano, take the Ferrovia Ponte Tresa train to Sorengo and change for a postal
bus (Sfr3.75, 20 minutes).
Melide
Melide is a bulge of shore from which the A2 motorway slices across the lake. The main
attraction is one that is bound to be a hit with most kids (and a few kids in grown-ups'
clothes).
Swissminiatur
( 091 640 10 60;
www.swissminiatur.ch
; Via Cantonale; adult/reduced Sfr19/15;
9am-6pm mid-Mar-mid-Nov)
is a miniature wonderland where you'll find finely rendered 1:25
scale models of more than 120 national attractions. It's the quick way to see Switzerland
in a day if you don't have time to see the real thing. Castles such as the Château de Chil-
lon in Montreux vie for attention with the only foreign interloper - the Duomo in Milan.
All the models are numbered - make sure they give you the brochure with the full list
when you enter.
Morcote
With its narrow cobblestone lanes and endless nooks and crannies, this peaceful former
fishing village clusters at the foot of Monte Abostora on Lake Lugano. Narrow stairways
lead to
Chiesa di Santa Maria del Sasso
, a 15-minute climb. The views are excellent and the
church has 16th-century frescoes and carved faces on the organ. From there, continue an-
other 20 minutes upstairs to
Vico di Morcote
, a pleasant high-altitude hamlet with a baroque
church and vineyards. About 5km further is Carona, which is worth a visit for the
Parco
Botanico San Grato
(admission free)
.
Four hundred metres left (west) from the boat stop,
Parco Scherrer
( 091 996 21 25; adult/re-
duced Sfr7/6; 10am-5pm mid-Mar-Oct, to 6pm Jul-Aug, closed Nov-Feb)
offers a bustling range of ar-
chitectural styles, including copies of famous buildings and generic types (eg Temple of
Nefertiti, Siamese teahouse). It's all set in subtropical parkland.
The small
tourist office
( 058 866 49 69; Riva dal Garavell; 8.30am-12.30pm & 1.30-5.30pm Mon-Fri,
10am-noon & 1-5pm Sat & Sun late Mar-mid-Oct)
has useful information about the village and entire
Lugano region.
