Why Honeymoon in Lugano
Lugano gives you lake life with mountain views at a lower altitude and a warmer temperature than the rest of Switzerland. That makes it a natural final stop after Zermatt or the Jungfrau, a few days to swim, read and eat well before the flight home.
The pace is the selling point. Mornings start with a cappuccino in the piazza. Afternoons are for a boat to a lakeside village or a walk on a trail through olive and chestnut trees. Evenings end at a grotto, a rustic restaurant with stone tables under the trees.
It is also close to Italy. Lake Como sits just over the border. Milan is about an hour by train. Couples can add an Italian day trip without changing hotels, then come back to the quiet efficiency of the Swiss side for the night.
When to Go
May, June and September are the best months for most couples. Days are warm, the lake is pleasant for swimming by June and the hiking trails are comfortable.
July and August are hot and sometimes humid by Swiss standards, with afternoon thunderstorms. They are still popular, because lake beaches and lidos come into their own. Expect crowds at the Verzasca Valley on summer weekends.
April brings flowering camellias, magnolias and azaleas in lakeside gardens, though water and evenings are still cool. October is mild and golden, with chestnut season in the woods and quieter streets.
November through February is the low season. Many boats run a reduced schedule, the Brissago Islands gardens close and some hotels shut for the winter. The town still functions, but the lake mood fades.
Where to Stay
The lakefront promenade along Riva Paradiso and Riva Caccia holds Lugano's classic hotels, with balconies over the water. The Hotel Splendide Royal, a Belle Époque landmark, has been welcoming guests on the promenade for more than a century.
Castagnola, on the eastern edge of town at the foot of Monte Brè, is quieter and greener. The Villa Castagnola sits in a large park near the lake there, a short walk from the start of the Olive Trail.
Paradiso, at the foot of Monte San Salvatore, has newer hotels and easy train access. The View Lugano sits on the hillside above with lake-facing suites.
For a more village feel, look at Morcote or Gandria, where small guesthouses sit right on the water. Couples who prefer Lake Maggiore can base themselves in Ascona, which has a pretty lakefront and good restaurants.
Romantic Things to Do
Walk the Sentiero dell'Olivo, the Olive Trail, from Castagnola to Gandria. It follows the lakeshore through olive trees with signs on local history. Gandria is a tiny car-free village of stone houses stacked above the water, best reached on foot or by boat. Take the boat back.
Ride the funicular up Monte Brè late in the afternoon. At the top, walk to the village of Brè with its old houses, then watch the lights come on around the bay.
Take a boat to Morcote, a village with arcades along the water and a church stairway that climbs to views over the lake.
Spend a day in the Verzasca Valley. Near Lavertezzo, the double-arched Ponte dei Salti spans clear green water where people swim in summer. Then continue to Ascona and the Brissago Islands, with botanical gardens on Lake Maggiore.
Getting There and Around
The fastest international airport is Milan Malpensa, about an hour or a bit more by road or rail. Zurich Airport is about two and a half hours by train, thanks to the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which opened in 2016 and is the longest railway tunnel in the world. Lugano Airport has very limited service.
From Lucerne, the trip takes about two hours. If you have time, ride the Gotthard Panorama Express on the old mountain line instead, combining a lake boat with a scenic train.
In Lugano, buses and walking cover the center. A short funicular links the station to the old town. Lake boats connect Lugano with Gandria, Morcote and other villages. Trains reach Bellinzona, Locarno and Ascona in under an hour. A car helps for the Verzasca Valley, though buses from Locarno run there frequently in summer.
Food and Drink
Ticino food is northern Italian with a mountain twist. Look for risotto, often made with saffron or local Merlot. Polenta is cooked slowly in copper pots and served with braised beef or rabbit. Luganighe are the local sausages.
The grotto is the classic place to eat. Originally caves used to store wine and cheese, grottos became simple restaurants with granite tables under chestnut trees. Menus are short: cured meats, cheese, polenta, perhaps a stew and a jug of house wine. They are best on a warm summer evening.
Ticino Merlot is the region's wine, often surprisingly elegant. Merlot bianco, a white made from red grapes, is a local curiosity worth trying.
Finish with a glass of grappa or nocino, a walnut liqueur. On cool autumn evenings, look for roasted chestnuts sold in paper cones.
Honeymoon Tips
Book a grotto for at least one dinner. Many are a short taxi or bus ride from town in Gandria, Morcote or the hills above. Some take cash only, so carry francs.
Pack swimwear. Lugano has several lidos, lakeside bathing areas with lawns, loungers and bars, that are a relaxed way to spend a hot afternoon.
Plan a Verzasca day for a weekday if possible. Never swim in the river when the water is high or after storms, since levels can rise quickly.
The Ticino Ticket, typically given to guests who stay in local hotels, covers regional public transport and discounts on lifts and boats. Ask about it at check-in.
Leave room in your schedule for nothing. Lugano is at its best when you sit by the lake long enough to forget what time it is.
