Redolent of a more peaceful bygone age, Rasa is an utterly charming stone village, clinging to high slopes, combed through with neatly tended vegetable gardens and topped off with a campanile. There's little to detain you in the way of actual attractions, but linger for a snapshot into local life and stirring views of the mountains that crumple the horizon. Walking trails fan out in all directions.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
17.45 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…
29.29 MILES
This elegant 18th-century villa on the banks of Lake Como was once home to composer Vincenzo Bellini is now an award-winning luxury hotel.
17.62 MILES
On cloudless days, you can see Lake Maggiore from this 13th-century hilltop fortification. The fortress is one of Bellinzona’s most impressive with its…
29.12 MILES
A 1km walk along the (partially wooded) lake shore from Lenno's main square, Villa Balbianello has cinematic pedigree: this was where scenes from Star…
29.78 MILES
The star of the show on a lake shore not bereft of elegant touches, the Villa Carlotta is a fabulous fusion of neoclassical architecture and harmonious…
Santuario della Madonna del Sasso
6.43 MILES
Overlooking the town, this sanctuary was built after the Virgin Mary supposedly appeared in a vision to a monk, Bartolomeo d’Ivrea, in 1480. There’s a…
17.77 MILES
From central Bellinzona, it’s a 3.5km hike south to the Castello di Sasso Corbaro. Perched high on a wooded hillside, the castle has an austere beauty…
14.1 MILES
A wooded wilderness set amid a little-visited stretch of the Italian Alps, the Parco Nazionale Val Grande is far removed from the more domesticated beauty…
Nearby Ticino attractions
2.44 MILES
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…
3.85 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,…
4.84 MILES
The late 19th century saw the arrival of ‘back to nature’ utopians, anarchists and sexual libertarians from northern Europe in Ascona. Their aspirations…
4. Museo Comunale d’Arte Moderna
5.02 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,…
5.15 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…
5.26 MILES
Dwarfed by the scale of the mountains and forests rising above it, the close-knit hamlet of Gresso, with a population of just 30, is scenically perched at…
5.51 MILES
Re, on the Italian side, sees a procession of pilgrims on 30 April each year, a tradition that originated when a painting of the Madonna was reported to…
6.23 MILES
Standing proud on a fountain-dotted square, this church is best known for its altar to the Cristo Morto (Dead Christ).