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Locarno

Situated at the northern tip of Lake Maggiore, the main body of which lies over the border in Italy, Switzerland's lowest city, Locarno, bathes in a climate more Mediterranean than Alpine. The warmth of its climate - Locarno enjoys an estimated 2,300 hours of sunshine each year - and the natural splendour of the city's lakeside setting long ago secured Locarno's popularity as a recreational destination.

2 results matching: Discover Locarno

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Lake Orta
Last-Minute Deals
4.1 stars(33 reviews)
2023AugSepOct
8 days from
£1,099 pp £999 pp
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Last-Minute Deals
8 days from
£1,099
£999
per person
View Details
tour map
  • DestinationItaly
  • Starts / EndsSt Pancras International
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
Lake Maggiore
Last-Minute Deals
4.4 stars(48 reviews)
2023AugSepOct
8 days from
£1,249 pp £1,149 pp
View Details
Last-Minute Deals
8 days from
£1,249
£1,149
per person
View Details
tour map
  • DestinationItaly, Switzerland
  • Starts / EndsSt Pancras International
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
Our customers love our Locarno tours
Lake Maggiore
11/May
S Chaplin
5 stars
“We thoroughly enjoyed our trip, both of the hotels that we stayed in were very good and breaking the journey in Mulhouse worked perfectly. The hotel in Stresa was particularly good with friendly staff and a breakfast buffet that was simply superb. The group size of 10 plus our wonderful tour manager Yasmin was perfect and we met some lovely people. Stresa is a great place to stay with plenty to do on our free day without having to travel anywhere which made for a nice relaxing day. The trips out each day were all really interesting and the places we went to were beautiful but the day out to Lake Como was hampered by heavy traffic on the way there plus roadworks which made our coach journeys a lot longer than they should have been. We think that this needs to be changed for future trips. The trip on the Centovalli railway was great and the cruise back on Lake Maggiore from Locarno on the ferry was a highlight of the trip for us. On a practical note, all of the train journeys and connections worked well which was helpful in view of the number of changes needed to get from St Pancras to Stresa, and we were extremely lucky with the weather - blue sky and warm sun every day we were there.
Collected by Trustpilot
The Best of the Italian Lakes
21 Oct 2022
Alan Davies
4 stars
“Terrific tour, which delivered what it said on the tin. Good points : Train journeys through France & Switzerland on outward and return journeys were a bonus, as was the additional night in Lille. Wonderful location for our Hotel, on the lakeshore, with stunning views thanks to general upgrade. Lovely trips by boat on several of the Ialian (and one Swiss) Lakes. Great Tour Leader, and nice bunch of fellow holiday-makers. Less good points : Some daily itineraries were too long and tiring - with early starts and/or late finishes. Too much use of coaches rather than local trains. Hotel food average.
Collected by Trustpilot

First mentioned in records in 807AD when controlled by Italian nobility, Locarno had previously been a Roman settlement, although this area of Lake Maggiore bears evidence of inhabitation since prehistoric times. Largely an agricultural community, Locarno's prosperity as a centre of trade and commerce grew in the fourteenth century thanks to its proximity to a trading route between Italy, Switzerland and Germany.

This long and colourful history has bestowed a wealth of historic buildings upon Locarno and today the city boasts nine individual, Swiss Heritage Sites of National Significance including the twelfth century Castello Visconteo, and the Church of Saint Francesco which dates from 1538.

Besides historic architecture Locarno offers beautiful public gardens, a diversity of shops, cafes and restaurants, art galleries, museums and other attractions and is small enough to be explored enjoyably on foot. A relaxing afternoon's boat trip on Lake Maggiore, meanwhile, provides a picturesque alternative view of the city and its beautiful surroundings from the water.

Verzasca Dam

Built in the nineteen-sixties, the Verzasca Dam's claim to fame is that it was the location for the reputed 'greatest stunt in film history', when James Bond leapt from it in the opening sequence of the film 'Goldeneye'. Brave visitors can recreate the stunt for themselves by bungee-jumping from the dam, but the location is sufficiently awe-inspiring for those who only wish to spectate.

 

Pinacoteca Casa Rusca

Locarno's foremost contemporary art museum is housed in a magnificent eighteenth-century building, itself a listed Swiss Heritage Site. The collection includes paintings, sculptures and drawings dating from the end of the nineteenth century to the modern-day.

Santuario della Madonna del Sasso

Founded in 1480 by a Franciscan monk following the appearance to him of the Virgin Mary, Locarno's historic monastery is a key visitor attraction and stands on a promontory overlooking the town. Renowned for the beauty of its internal decoration, the monastery also occupies a vantage point that offers unparalleled views of Lake Maggiore and the mountains beyond.

 

Piazza Grande

Locarno's impressive central square is surrounded by historic buildings and is both the city's main shopping area and the gateway to theCittà Vecchia(Old City).

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