Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Meride
It's of specialised interest, but for those who are keen on prehistory, Meride, situated
about 15km south of Lugano and just west off the A2 motorway, is worth a stop. The re-
cently remodelled Museo dei Fossili (Fossil Museum; 091 640 00 80; www.montesangiorgio.ch ; Via Bernar-
do Peyer 9; adult/reduced Sfr12/8; 9am-5pm Tue-Sun) displays vestiges of the first creatures to in-
habit the region - reptiles and fish dating back more than 200 million years. It may sound
dry, but the finds are important enough to warrant Unesco recognition of the area around
nearby Monte San Giorgio (1096m), where they were uncovered, as a World Heritage
Site. According to Unesco, the mount is the 'single best known record of marine life in
the Triassic period'.
Near the town is a circular nature trail . You can reach Meride from Lugano by taking the
train to Mendrisio and then the postal bus (Sfr12).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Bellinzona (Switzerland)
POP 17,544
Where several valleys leading down from the Alps converge, Bellinzona has always been
an important crossroads. The most visible landmarks to this history are three grey-stone,
medieval, Unesco World Heritage-listed castles that have attracted everyone from Swiss
invaders to painters like William Turner.
The rocky, central hill upon which rises the main castle, Castelgrande, was a Roman
frontier post and site of a Lombard defensive tower, and was later developed as a heavily
fortified town controlled by Milan. The three castles and valley walls could not stop the
Swiss German confederate troops from overwhelming the city in 1503, thus deciding Ti-
cino's fate for the following three centuries.
 
 
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