Locarno summer holidays

Holidays in Locarno

With the warmest weather in Switzerland, Locarno is a brilliant blend of Italian and Swiss on the tip of the legendary Lago Maggiore. If you’re not too caught up indulging in La Dolce Vita, have a go at sailing or set off on one of the fantastic local walks. The town hosts its international film festival every summer (famed for the outdoor viewing experience in the Piazza Grande) and it’s always worth visiting the church of Madonna del Sasso up in Orselina – if only for the sights of the lake and town.

Highlights: • Fantastic parks and gardens • Swim at Lido Locarno • Boat trips to Italian markets

Locarno Walking

There are some gorgeous walks in the hills above the town; including a flat 6.8km path and we love the lakeside path to Minusio which is also flat and incredibly scenic. For a bit of culture and history, take the Via Crucis to the Madonna del Sasso sanctuary at Orselina (it’s only a kilometre long but the uphill can be quite testing). Nordic walkers can test out routes like the Orselina, which has some great views of the Gambarogno Mountains and the flat Losone route which goes past the Melezza, Maggia, and Isorno rivers. The Orselina cable car leads to some excellent hiking paths from Cardada – walk to the Cimetta chair lift for a tour of pastures and mountain huts towards Val Resa and Monti di Lego (which has amazing views over Lake Maggiore and the valleys). If you’re here with the car, drive to Ponte Brolla or Vergeletto for walks to some jaw dropping Alpine lakes.

Locarno Cycling

On the north shore of Lake Maggiore and at a gateway to the Swiss Alps, Locarno has a brilliant range of routes for cycling. It’s just 15 minutes to Muralto, where you can unsaddle for a gelato on the natural beach. Further afield there’s a really lovely route to Montebello Castle in Bellinzona. The ride’s pretty much all flat, flanked by beautiful scenery including crop fields, farms and vineyards. Anyone who fancies themselves as Tour de Suisse material can take the zig-zag climb up to Bre village, or hit the mountain trail to Bagni di Craveggia. Passing the Isorno River gorges, it’s a 3hr scenic ride to the ruins and hot springs. Mountain bikers can ride the circuit from Ascona to Golino and back, which passes lakes and rivers (the path from Monte Verità is pretty steep but the rest is quite easy). Towards Lugano, Mont Brè has some fantastic rides down to Brè village and Aldesago. Take things easy by renting one of the Flyer E-Bikes from the Locarno tourist information desk.