My friend and I have a tradition: to celebrate Happy New Year in different countries.This time my friend offered me to go to a Swiss canton Ticino, and if to be more precise to a small Swiss village exactly on the border with Italy – Brissago.
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Frankly speaking I was a bit skeptic at first. I’m a big city fan. I didn’t have any idea what we could see in a small Swiss village.But after visiting this place I changed my mind. Our flight was Moscow – Zurich. After that we took a train from Zurich to Bellinzona (it costs about 50CHF, the trip lasts 3 hours). There was another possibility – a plane, it lasts only 30 minutes but it costs about 300 CHF. Moreover I like traveling by train, you can look at the window and enjoy the surrounding landscapes. During this route I enjoyed the mountains. To be honest after a 3-hour journey I was a bit tired of mountains. When we reached Brissago it was already late that’s why I didn’t have a chance to go for a walk. But the next morning when I got up and opened the window I was surprised, amazed, astonished…There was a wonderful picture – a big lake (il Lago Maggiore) surrounded by Alps, the sun was shining. Marvelous landscape. Like a fairy-tale..a small paradise.. Brissago is situated on the southern side of Alps. Exactly on the border with Italy, as I’ve already said. And you can feel the atmosphere of Italy at every step. La dolce vita! A wonderful mixture of nature and medieval buildings. I can also say that I felt a competition between nature and architecture. Now I understand why famous Russian writers and poets liked to spend winters in Switzerland. Only in this relaxing place they were able to derive inspiration.
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| Favourite spots: |
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I liked sitting on the bench near the lake and feeding swans. It’s really wonderful!!Or just lakeshore promenades where you can admire some exotic plants or old large stone buildings with narrow stairs. There’s really a big choice of exotic plants. And some botanists of Brissago say that you can see the whole world here without leaving the canton. It’s connected with the peculiarities of the climate. I was really impressed that on the lakeshore you can find palm trees and if you climb a bit in the mountains you’ll see some snow and some Alpine plants.
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| What's really great: |
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What’s really great: the nature!!!It’s really a very peaceful relaxing place. A place for going for long walks admiring the picturesque scenery. It’s not a big city with lots of sights. The atmosphere is very friendly people are very nice! This place has its own charm and it sticks in my memory. I wish I were there now!
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| Sights: |
One of the Brissago’s sights is a big cigar factory “Dannemann”. And you can buy these cigars practically in every shop.
As for the museums, there was a nice one dedicated to the famous composer Leoncavallo.
I’d like also recommend to visit the church of Madonna del Ponte. Some classic music concerts are also held there.
In August there will be famous film festival in Locarno! So, cinema fans it's a good chance to enjoy both the cinema and the beauty of this unique place!
It was also great to visit Bellinzona, a place which is famous for its castles. If you have time visit Sasso Corbaro!
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| Accommodations: |
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A lot of hotels, practically on every corner. It’s really a touristic place!! In wintertime it can be difficult because many hotels are closed till March. But in summer you’ll find it without any difficulty. I stayed in a nice cozy hotel “Canvetto”.
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| Nightlife: |
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Francly speaking, night life is not in full swing, especially in comparison with European capitals. I didn't manage to find any night club here.
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| Restaurants: |
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There is not a big choice of restaurants, pubs or clubs in Brissago. It’s better to go to neighboring Locarno or Ascona. They are famous holiday resorts. You need only 10 minutes by car to get there. There’re plenty of nice restaurants where you can try renowned Swiss fondue. The cuisine of this canton is influenced a lot by the Italian one. You can find Risotto, Minestrone, marinated fish. I liked the restaurant Cittadella. They serve also very tasty pizzas. In Locarno I went to a local Irish pub. It’s my hobby: I always visit local Irish pubs in every city. This one was good: live music, Guiness, the only disadvantage: it’s open only till 1am.
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| Other recommendations: |
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Locarno-a famous holiday resort
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Visit Cardada, it’s a resort which lies high in the mountains (1340 m) You can reach it by funicular. Check the web site www.cardada.ch.
In winter it’s a ski resort, there’re a lot of slopes. I didn’t have my ski equipment with me that’s why I was sitting in a cute restaurant just drinking Swiss beer and basking in the sunshine.
In summer you can go for a walk, a panorama of the surrounding countryside will greet you. Take your camera with you, cause you’ll see the beautiful scenery!
There’re also plenty of restaurants where you can try Swiss, to be more precise Ticinese cuisine.
Don’t miss the opportunity to go to Italy by a small ship. As I’ve already mentioned the largest part of the lake lies in Italy. And it’s possible to make a short trip from Locarno to Milano!
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Published on Thursday June 16th, 2005
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Publish on Facebook
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Sat, Feb 10 2007 - 02:48 PM
 by marianne
Nellie,
What a joy to read. Excellent information and photos. |
Sun, Jun 19 2005 - 05:43 AM
by deriek-2
This is a great report, congratulations!
Mary |
Fri, Jun 17 2005 - 06:19 PM
by picasso
Absolutely wonderful report with breathtaking images.This place seems like a definate Paradise for nature lovers,and for people seeking a retreat vacation.
Boris |
Fri, Jun 17 2005 - 09:02 AM
by bear495
This is a very nice travel report, Nellie, especially for a first attempt.
Russ
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Fri, Jun 17 2005 - 05:39 AM
by davidx
| This is a great report that seems almost like a novel in places. Can it really be your first? If so, we can all look forward to some more. |
Fri, Jun 17 2005 - 04:57 AM
by kandath
Nellie,
Wonderful report with marvellous fotos. Well done,
Kris Kandath |
Thu, Jun 16 2005 - 07:30 PM
by rangutan
| Full and wonderfully described place. What an experience! |
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