Parco Ciani along Lake Lugano in Switzerland.

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Parco Ciani

Lugano


This lakefront promenade necklaces the shore of glassy Lago di Lugano, set against a backdrop of rugged mountains. Notice the distinctive profiles of cone-shaped twin peaks Monte Brè and Monte San Salvatore. Linden and chestnut trees provide welcome shade in summer, while tulips, camellias and magnolias bloom in spring.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Lugano attractions

1. Campione d’Italia Casino

0.16 MILES

The 12-storey casino, converted by Lugano’s favourite architect, Mario Botta, into Europe’s biggest in 2005, does a brisk business. Smart dress is…

2. Cherry Building

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Like an abstract work of art, a cherry tree graces the roof of this pink-brick, cubic edifice, the handiwork of much-lauded Ticinese architect Mario Botta.

3. Piazza della Riforma

0.35 MILES

Porticoed lanes weave around Lugano's busy main square, which is presided over by the 1844 neoclassical Municipio (town hall) and is even more lively when…

4. BSí

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Bearing the hallmark of famous Ticinese architect Mario Botta, this striking cluster of buildings was formerly known as the Banca del Gottardo.

5. Cattedrale di San Lorenzo

0.47 MILES

Lugano’s early-16th-century cathedral conceals some fine frescos and ornate baroque statues behind its Renaissance facade. Out the front are far-reaching…

6. Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angioli

0.52 MILES

This simple Romanesque church contains two frescos by Bernardino Luini dating from 1529. Covering the entire wall that divides the church in two is a…

7. Museo d'Arte della Svizzera Italiana

0.53 MILES

The showpiece of Lugano's striking new LAC cultural centre, the MASI zooms in predominantly on 20th-century and contemporary art – from the abstract to…

8. Monte Brè

1.45 MILES

Rising dramatically above Lago di Lugano, the conical peak of Monte Brè (925m) is the trailhead for hiking and mountain-biking trails that afford wide…