Perching on a rocky ledge at the confluence of the Melezzo and Isorno rivers and looking into a valley bounded by mountain beyond mountain, Intragna has a pop-effect and is the trailhead for a number of hikes, including a 5km one to Rasa. Its crowning glories are its the bell tower of the baroque Chiesa di San Gottardo – said to be Ticino's highest at 65m – and the nearby 80m-high Isorno viaduct, which arcs gracefully across a gorge.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Castelgrande
15.38 MILES
Rising dramatically above the Old Town, this medieval stronghold is Bellinzona’s most visible icon. Head up Salita San Michele from Piazza Collegiata, or…
Isole Borromeo
21.2 MILES
The Borromean Gulf forms Lake Maggiore's most beautiful corner, sheltering the Borromean Islands and their spectacular, privately owned palaces. Closest…
Villa della Porta Bozzolo
18.72 MILES
In the unassuming town of Casalzuigno, about 9km east of Laveno, generations of nobles have swanned about the magnificent gardens of Villa della Porta…
Castello Visconteo
4.4 MILES
Named after the Visconti clan that long ruled Milan, this fortified 15th-century castle’s nucleus was raised around the 10th century. It now houses a…
Corippo
7.73 MILES
Blink and you'll almost certainly miss this pint-sized hamlet, which looks as though it would topple down the terraced hillside with the slightest puff of…
Parco Scherrer
20.2 MILES
Set in subtropical parkland, Parco Scherrer, 400m west of the boat stop in Morcote, is the dream come true of textile merchant and art enthusiast Hermann…
Monte San Giorgio
21.83 MILES
Rising in a pyramid above Lake Lugano, 1097m Monte San Giorgio has become Ticino’s mountain of myth thanks to its rich stash of Triassic marine-life…
Cevio
10.74 MILES
The centrepiece of Cevio is its vibrant 16th-century Pretorio (magistrate’s court), covered in the family coats-of-arms of many of the area’s rulers,…
Nearby Ticino attractions
1. Rasa
2.44 MILES
Redolent of a more peaceful bygone age, Rasa is an utterly charming stone village, clinging to high slopes, combed through with neatly tended vegetable…
2. Museo Casa Anatta
3.23 MILES
The late 19th century saw the arrival of ‘back to nature’ utopians, anarchists and sexual libertarians from northern Europe in Ascona. Their aspirations…
3. Museo Comunale d’Arte Moderna
3.46 MILES
Housed in the late-16th-century Palazzo Pancaldi, this museum showcases paintings by artists connected with the town, among them Paul Klee, Ben Nicholson,…
4. Isole di Brissago
3.53 MILES
Marooned in the glimmering waters of Lake Maggiore, this tiny pair of islands is famous for its botanic gardens designed in the 19th century. Magnolias,…
5. Collegio Papio
3.6 MILES
The Collegio Papio, now a high school, boasts a fine Lombard courtyard and includes the 15th-century Chiesa Santa Maria della Misericordia, with medieval…
6. Chiesa di Sant'Antonio
4.28 MILES
Standing proud on a fountain-dotted square, this church is best known for its altar to the Cristo Morto (Dead Christ).
7. Pinacoteca Casa Rusca
4.3 MILES
This gallery occupies a beautifully restored 18th-century townhouse, Casa Rusca. The permanent collection zooms in on 20th century paintings, sculpture…
8. Chiesa di San Francesco
4.33 MILES
Standing on the site of a 13th-century Franciscan monastery, the 16th-century Chiesa di San Francesco is adorned with frescoes by Baldassare Orelli. Note…