The municipality is first documented in 1171 as Faedo.

Faido has grown from 255 inhabitants in 1639 to 704 in 1850, 1173 in 1940, and 1522 in 2002.

In the spring of 2004, the residents voted for incorporating the surrounding municipalities of Chiggiogna, Osco, Mairengo, Calpiogna, Campello, Rossura, Calonico, Anzonico, Cavagnago, and Sobrio. Most of the municipalities rejected the proposition, and the new municipality consists of Faido, Chiggiogna, Rossura, and Calonico.

]]> http://www.swisstraveling.com/2009/01/05/faido/feed/ 11 http://www.swisstraveling.com/2008/08/02/ascona/ http://www.swisstraveling.com/2008/08/02/ascona/#comments Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:49:53 +0000 admin http://www.swisstraveling.com/?p=79 The former fishing village of Ascona is situated beside a charming, sunny bay on Lake Maggiore, and, with its Old Town and lakeside promenade, is a popular yet exclusive holiday destination, with some of the most famous hotels in Switzerland. While Lake Maggiore offers a wide range of water sports, the unspoilt valleys in the hinterland are ideal for excursions and walks.

Ascona is on the north-west shore of Lake Maggiore, on the large delta created by the River Maggia. At an altitude of just 196 m, Ascona is the lowest town in Switzerland.

The old town centre, called Borgo, huddles round the church of San Pietro e Paolo, a columned basilica dating from the 16th century, whose high bell-tower or campanile is the symbol of Ascona. The dense network of alleyways, with shops of all kinds, leads directly down to the Piazza by the lakeside promenade, from where there is a beautiful view of Lake Maggiore. The promenade (Lungolago) at Ascona, with its rich merchants’ houses, arcades opening out on to the lake, and sun-soaked cafés, is considered the most beautiful section of Lake Maggiore to stroll along, and can be enjoyed even on sunny winter days, thanks to the mild climate here.

Ascona experienced an extraordinary period at the start of the 20th century when a colourful colony of assorted artists came together to live on the Monte Verità above Ascona and to preach the benefits of returning to nature. This settlement developed into an experimental arena for alternative lifestyles and art forms, which attracted revolutionaries, anarchists, philosophers, writers, vegetarians, poets, dancers and painters from all over the world. The psychoanalyst Karl Gustav Jung, the writer Hermann Hesse, the artists Alexej Jawlensky and Marianne von Werefkin are just some of the well-known personalities who lived in Ascona. The history of the Monte Verità is recorded in a museum.

Nowadays, the resort of Ascona, which is very close to Locarno, boasts a beautiful 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, elegant boutiques for shopping excursions, a large open-air swimming pool, smart hotels and many excellent restaurants, lovely walks in parkland, surfing, sailing and other water sports, not to mention boat trips on Lake Maggiore. There are many opportunities for excursions, hiking and biking in the beautifully wild scenery of the nearby side valleys of the Tessin such as the Maggiatal and Centovalli.

Highlights

• Borgo Old Town – beautiful Old Town of Ascona around the church of San Pietro e Paolo, an art museum with paintings by artists who spent time living here (Jawlensky, Werefkin, Klee).
• Maggiatal – natural river landscape, broad paths in an unspoilt side valley of Ticino, with nearly 40 mountain lakes and a wealth of fauna and flora.
• Brissago Islands – worth a trip, reached by a peaceful boat ride; thanks to the near-Mediterranean climate, 1500 different species of plants thrive here.
• Centovalli – this enchanting “Valley of a hundred valleys” lies between Domodossola and Locarno, with deep gorges, waterfalls, chestnut woods and picturesque villages, reached by narrow-gauge railway. Rail links to Brig in the Valais, change in Domodossola.
• Ronco sopra Ascona – one of the most delightful places overlooking Lake Maggiore, with an enchanting panorama of the lake and mountains, and a picturesque footpath with over 800 steps leading down to the lakeside.

Top Events

• Carnival in Ascona – with a big risotto feast, typical sausages (Luganighe) and wine (February).
• International Camellia Show in Locarno – a festival celebrating the pink blooms of over 300 varieties of the beautiful tea plant (March).
• JazzAscona, New Orleans & Classics – the largest European festival of traditional jazz with 250 artists and 200 concerts (June).
• International Festival of Street Artists – the streets of Ascona become the stage for mime artists, comedians, dancers, jugglers, balancing artists, fire-eaters, musicians and clowns (June).
• Settimane Musicali di Ascona (Music Weeks) – long-established festival of classical music (August to October).
• Ascona’s Chestnut Festival – chestnuts, Merlot, folk music and “dolce far niente” in the warm autumn sun (October).

The town is dominated by three 15th-century castles of the dukes of Milan. There are also remains of the great wall (murata) that barred the Ticino Valley c. 1500, and it is the location of several 16th-century churches. In 2004 Bellinzona became the seat of the Federal Criminal Court. Tourism, which increased rapidly after the opening of the St. Gotthard railway line (1882), is the most important economic factor, but there are small industries. The population is Italian-speaking and Roman Catholic.

Bellinzona is probably Switzerland’s most Italianate town. The skyline of the capital of Ticino is defined by the powerful fortifications, comprising three of the best-preserved medieval castles in Switzerland, which are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bellinzona (German: Bellenz) is strategically positioned where the valley narrows on the way to the Alpine passes of St. Gotthard, San Bernardino and Lucomagno (Lukmanier). The town acts as a gateway to Italy for those travelling from the North, and the keyhole to the Alps for those coming from the South.

The picturesque corners and squares, the courtyards and the neo-Classical, Italian-style theatre, and the sympathetically restored old houses tell visitors the history of what is culturally a Lombardy town. In its alleyways are richly decorated patrician houses and beautiful churches. Yet behind the austere charm of the medieval town is all the dynamic life of a modern meeting-place. Numerous boutiques, cafés and specialist shops offering culinary delicacies invite you to linger and window-shop. Each Saturday there is a big weekly market on the Piazza Nosetto.

The fortifications of Bellinzona are among the most important examples of medieval defensive architecture in the Alps, and have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since the year 2000. From the Castelgrande, Bellinzona’s oldest and mightiest castle, there is a beautiful view over the Old Town and the surrounding area. A little museum in the Castelgrande documents the history of Bellinzona’s castles and town centre. There are also museums in the other two castles.

It was the Romans who realised the strategic importance of the site, and first built a castle here, in the first century A.D. In the Middle Ages this was extended to form a long, impregnable fortress. Because of its location, Bellinzona was always a bone of contention between the Dukes of Milan and the Swiss. It was only in 1516 that the town first became part of the Swiss Federation.

Bellinzona is ideally located for excursions to the nearby holiday resorts of Locarno and Ascona, over Monte Ceneri to the southern Tessin with its main town, Lugano, up the romantic side valleys of the Tessin or northwards into the Leventina, with the Bedretto valley, or into the sunny Blenio valley.

Highlights

• Three castles – the medieval fortifications, with the castles of Castelgrande, Castello di Montebello and Castello di Sasso Corbaro, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Villa dei Cedri – municipal art gallery with Swiss and Italian paintings from late 19th and early 20th century, as well as contemporary art. There is a particular focus on artists from the local area.
• Old Town – in the area around the Piazza Nosetto, Via del Teatro and Piazza del Governo, the Old Town boasts a wealth of beautiful merchants’ houses, stone gateways, balconies with wrought iron railings and inn signs from a bygone era.
• Teatro Sociale – inspired by La Scala in Milan, the building is in the typically Italian Classical style, and is the only theatre in Switzerland to have been preserved from the 19th century.
• Modern architecture in Bellinzona – in the Castelgrande , the architect Aurelio Galfetti has cleverly integrated a boldly designed restaurant, while the Convento delle Agostiniane on the Monte Carasso has been converted into a modern training centre by the architect Luigi Snozzi.

Top Events

• Carnevale Rabadan Bellinzona – highly traditional carnival, with a big masked procession, street performers and masked balls (February).
• Open-air cinema in the Castelgrande – at the castle, in a romantic setting under the stars (May).
• Piazza Blues Festival – for a few days, Bellinzona becomes the blues Mecca of Switzerland, with international stars (June).
• Bacchica Bellinzonese – traditional wine-growers’ festival with a procession in national dress, wine-tasting, theatre and lots of music (September).
• Cheese market – autumn festival with fresh produce, cheese and wine produced by Ticino farmers (October).
• Castellinaria Youth Film Festival – the spotlight is on children and young people in the films shown here (November).
• Christmas market – in the Old Town of Bellinzona (December).

At the northern tip of Lake Maggiore in the canton of Ticino, situated on the delta of the River Maggia, is Locarno, the city with the mildest climate in Switzerland, enjoying 2300 hours of sunshine every year. The “Lady of the Camellias” lures the visitors with its southern charm, Mediterranean climate and sub-tropical vegetation. Often the camellias, mimosa and magnolias begin to bloom here even in February.

You can wander through the narrow alleyways of the Città Vecchia, the Old Town, admire all the bright flower displays in the parks and watch the hustle and bustle on the busy Piazza Grande while you sup a cappuccino – Locarno is above all a city for those who know how to enjoy themselves.

In summer people meet up on the Piazza Grande, especially at open-air concerts or during the famous International Film Festival in August, when thousands of visitors come to the square. The Piazza Grande, the heart of the city, is framed by houses with elegant facades, leafy walkways and pavement cafés.

Towering over Locarno is the famous pilgrimage church of Madonna del Sasso. The founding of this holy place dates back to a vision of the Virgin Mary which appeared to a Franciscan monk during the night of 15 August (Feast of the Assumption). From the rocky spur of Orselina there is a fantastic view of the city and the lake with the mountains in the background.

Further up, on Locarno’s nearest mountain (1670 m), a cable-car designed by the world-famous architect Mario Botta leads up to Cardada-Cimetta. In summer, Cardada is a popular meeting place for hang-gliders and hikers, while in winter you can even go skiing or sledging.

It is particularly worth a visit to the mighty Castello Visconteo with its impressive tower and the archaeological museum inside the castle walls. It is also worth visiting the ancient churches and noble manor houses in and around Locarno.

Locarno is the ideal starting point for numerous excursions, whether a boat trip on Lake Maggiore or a diversion into the romantic and remote valleys in Locarno’s hinterland.

Highlights

• Pilgrimage church of Madonna del Sasso – a holy place above Locarno with fantastic views over the town, lake and mountains.
• Locarno’s nearest mountain, the Cardada-Cimetta – the cable-car designed by leading architect Mario Botta takes visitors up to the hiking, skiing and sledging paradise above Locarno.
• Old Town with Castello Visconteo – wander through the picturesque Old Town behind the Piazza Grande to the medieval castle with its archaeological museum.
• Verzasca valley & Maggia valley – romantic and largely unspoilt valleys in Locarno’s hinterland. Bus connections from Tenero and Locarno.
• Lago Maggiore – swimming, water sports and excursions in, on and round the lake, e.g. to the Brissago Islands.
• International Film Festival in Locarno – for eleven days every year, thousands of film fans enjoy the magnificent setting of the Piazza Grande (August).

Top Events

• International Film Festival in Locarno – each year the best productions are awarded the coveted “Golden Leopard”. Special focus on new film talent (August).
• Moon and Stars – a one-week open-air festival with world-famous musical stars – the concerts take place in the evenings on the Piazza Grande (July).

How to get there

Public Transport:

• from north: line St. Gotthard: 3 hrs from Zürich, 7 hrs from Frankfurt a. M., 10 hrs from Paris.
• from south: line Milano 2 hrs. 7 hrs from Rome
• Centovallina: ( Domodossola – Locarno ): 5 hrs. from Geneva, 2 hrs from Domodossola

By car:

• The Lago Maggiore area can be reached easily in summer and winter by the excellent highway A2 Basel Chiasso, exit Bellinzona south, accessible via Simplon, and via Centovalli
• from Northern Italy along the Lake Maggiore

Madrid: 1800 Km; London: 1150 Km; Berne: 270 Km; Berlin: 930 Km
Other/Air:

• direct flights from the bigger Swiss and international cities to Lugano-Agno airport (40 Km)
• Shuttle-bus Lugano – Milan/Malpensa (100 Km)
• International airport Zürich/Kloten (212 Km)

Lugano lies in a bay on the northern side of Lake Lugano, surrounded by numerous mountains offering splendid viewpoints. The traffic-free historic town centre, the numerous buildings in Italianate Lombardy style, the exclusive museums, the mountains, lake and a packed calendar of events all invite visitors to see the sights, soak up the atmosphere – and enjoy “dolce far niente”. Thanks to its mild climate, Lugano is a popular tourist destination in the spring when the camellias are in bloom.

The town centre with its Mediterranean-style squares and arcades, and numerous parks with sub-tropical plants such as the Parco Civico on the shores of the lake invite you to laze around, enjoying the atmosphere. By the lakeside promenade are the Belvedere Gardens, where the parkland boasts not only camellias and magnolias but also countless sub-tropical plants and modern works of art.

Art connoisseurs are attracted to this city of art and architecture by the high standard of the exhibitions it hosts. In the Museo Cantonale d’Arte are paintings by Klee, Jawlensky, Renoir and Degas, among others. In the last 50 years, the Ticino region, and Lugano in particular, have developed into an important region for architecture. The most well-known representatives of the “Ticino School” are Luigi Snozzi and Mario Botta. Botta’s Banca del Gottardo (Viale Franscini), the Palazzo Ransila (Via Pretorio) and his own workshop on the Via Ciani are good examples.

The two closest mountains to Lugano, Monte San Salvatore and Monte Brè, give you an outstanding panorama of the town, Lake Lugano and the alpine scenery. From Monte Brè there is a walk down to the village of Brè, which has preserved its typical Ticino village centre, and enhanced it with works of art. From the San Salvatore another popular walk leads down through the beautifully situated Carona to Lake Lugano at Morcote. Taking a boat trip back to Lugano is a splendid way to round off the day. Other excursions are to the fishing village of Gandria, up the Monte San Giorgio or the Monte Generoso or to the Lilliput world of Switzerland in Miniature at Melide.

Highlights

• Belvedere Park – the lakeside promenade is fringed by trees and lush flower-beds. The park is right beside the footpath which goes along the side of the lake as far as Paradiso.
• Monte Brè (925 m) – Lugano’s closest mountain can be reached by funicular railway from Cassarate on the outskirts of Lugano. Wonderful panorama of the town, lake and mountains, stretching right over the border into Italy.
• Monte San Salvatore (912 m) – from the top of the “sugarloaf” (reached by funicular railway from Lugano-Paradiso) you can walk down the panoramic footpath to Carona and then on to Morcote.
• San Lorenzo Cathedral – set above the Old Town, it is worth a visit with its facade in the Lombardy Renaissance style, and countless frescoes and valuable Baroque artefacts inside.
• Church of Santa Maria degli Angioli – in this former monastery church, built about 1500, are fine frescoes by the masters of the Renaissance.
• Hesse Museum in Montagnola – small, intimate museum for the writer and adopted son of Ticino, Hermann Hesse, who lived and wrote in southern Switzerland for at least half a century.

Top Events

• Festival di Cultura e Musica Jazz – Jazz and Cultural Festival (February).
• Lugano Festival – an important cultural attraction, mainly devoted to classical music, but also including other aspects of the arts (April-June).
• Lugano Estival Jazz – the main musical event in Ticino, with free open-air jazz concerts – well-established on the circuit of major international jazz festivals (June/July).
• “Blues to Bop” – on the stages and squares in Lugano’s town centre, the musical style ranges from blues to pop via gospel and back to soul (August/September).

How to get there

Public Transport: Lugano is directly situated on the North-South axis of the St. Gotthard range and is easily accessible from anywhere in Europe. From Lugano Main Train Station the city center is easily reached by foot (110 min.) or by cableway Lugano-Bahnhof (operating from 5:20 a.m. to 11:50 p.m.)
By car: Lugano is situated on the Autobahn axis linking northern Europe directly with the countries of southern Europe.

• From Milan: Autostrada A9 dei Laghi, in the direction of Como-San Gottardo or Autostrada A8, towards Varese-Stabio (Gaggiolo). Recommended exit: Lugano SUD.
• From Zürich: Autobahn A2, in the direction of St. Gotthard-Chiasso-Italy. Recommended exit: Lugano NORD.

Lugano is Italian in appearance and character. The town’s main landmarks are the 13th-century Cathedral of San Lorenzo; the former Franciscan Church of Santa Maria degli Angioli (c. 1499), with frescoes by Bernardino Luini; and the Villa Favorita (1687) in the suburb of Castagnola, housing one of Europe’s greatest private art collections.

Lugano lies along the St. Gotthard railway line. The town’s chief sources of revenue are tourism and international finance, but there is some industry, including the manufacture of chocolate, cigarettes, silk, and machinery. The population is Italian-speaking and largely Roman Catholic.

Travel on foot or by rail, postal bus, car, or lake steamer, and you’ll be surrounded by scenic delights.

If you’ve never been on a Swiss train, you’re in for a treat. Not only are they clean, modern, comfortable, and efficient, but they traverse the country’s most scenic regions . Passengers behold everything from meadows where cattles graze to towering glaciers from the comfort of a seat. The Swiss Pass, Swiss Flexipass, and Swiss Card from the Swiss Travel System enable vacationers to save time and money traveling this way.

The most popular train routes are the Glacier Express, linking Zermatt and St. Moritz (it passes through 91 tunnels and crosses nearly 300 bridges), The William Tell Express, connecting central Switzerland to the sunny Ticino, the Bernina Express, which descends from Chur, down past Swiss glaciers to the Italian town of Tirano, and the Golden Pass, which transports travelers from Lake Lucerne to Lake Geneva.

Land of Lakes

Geneva, the city on the lake, shares its southern shore with France and attracts cosmopolitan visitors. Lausanne, in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, is an ideal aerie on the lake’s northern shore to observe frequent regattas. To sail on Lake Geneva yourself, board Montreux, a Belle Époque-era steam-powered vessel built in 1904 and recently relaunched. Daily tours sail from Lausanne to Evian, which also takes in Montreux and Vevey, and an evening trip to Yvoire.

Further north, Lake Neuchâtel, the largest lake bordered by Switzerland on all sides, offers a number of attractions. Visitors will gain a new appreciation of the old at the Neuchâtel Museum of Archeology. A ride on the Chaumont funicular affords panoramic views. The underground mills of Col-des-Roches are unusual. During Expo 2002, see Neuchâtel’s Artplage Mobile du Jura, a fascinating over-the-water construction that marries science and high-tech poetry.

Both Lake Lucerne and Lake Zurich remain must-sees on any grand tour of the Swiss Alps. The former boasts the world’s largest paddlesteamer fleet within a continental lake, and the city of Lucerne holds many medieval sites. Zurich, at the northern tip of its namesake lake, is of course a metropolis and one of the country’s major cultural centers.

Switzerland also shares Lake Constance and Lake Maggiore with its neighbors. Brissago Island, on the Swiss side of Lake Maggiore, is home to a lovely botanical garden. Along the shores of Lake Constance, orchards rise to meet the foothillls of the Alps, and farmhouses dot verdant slopes in this German-influenced region.

Hiking and Biking

If you believe that hiking is the best way to experience the countryside, bring your most comfortable walking shoes or boots. Depending on your energy level and interests, you can choose anything from a lake shore amble to a challenging, multi-day mountain ridge hike or even a glacier tour. A weeklong trip sponsored by Ryder-Walker Adventures leads through mountain passes and valleys. Starting in Locarno, with its cobblestone streets, arcades, palm trees, and Mediterranean flair, you can traverse the Ticino region’s rivers and peaks. You’ll encounter small, enchanting villages with Italianate architecture, comfortable inns, and hearty country fare accompanied by local red wines.

Bicyclists can traverse a network of interconnected cycle routes that snake across two thousand miles. And there’s no need to bring your own two-wheeler: City and mountain models are available for rent at most train stations. Golfers and tennis players, swimmers and horseback riders can also find ample venues to play under the Swiss sun.

Memories may not be the only gift you bring home. This could be the year you purchase a genuine Swiss watch, the choices are plentiful in all price ranges. Other excellent buys include chocolates, embroidery, music boxes, wood carvings, and other treasures hand-made by devoted Swiss craftspeople.