SAMPLE ITINERARY

Day 1: London to Ascona

Travel from London to Ascona by rail on your first day, leaving on the early morning Eurostar for Paris, where you change to a TGV train headed to Zurich.

In Zurich change for Bellinzona, and travel to Locarno on Lake Maggiore in the Ticino region of Switzerland. If you leave from St Pancras around 7am, you will reach Locarno just after 7.30pm. From here take a taxi to your hotel in nearby Ascona.

Note: Alternatively you can fly to Zurich and start your train journey from there.

Days 2 to 7: In Ascona

Spend seven nights enjoying Lake Maggiore, which is shared with Italy and has a distinctly Mediterranean feel. Many activities are available, including walking and hiking on Monte Tamaro, Monte Brè and Monte San Salvatore. You can swim in the lake and enjoy water sports.

At just 192m above sea level, Ascona and Lake Maggiore mark the lowest point in Switzerland, accounting for its warm climate and rich greenness. Home to just over 5,000 people, Ascona balances an urban cultural experience and rural seclusion. With Locarno just across the Maggiore River, you can decide just how much of the bustling marketplaces and lively lakefront you would like to experience.

Ascona itself is recognised as a centre for the arts, with an abundance of galleries and craft shops nestled down quiet alleyways. The Municipal Museum of Modern Arts, housed in the Palazzo Pancaldi, exhibits works by local artists as well as famous artists connected with Ascona, such as Paul Klee. The Casa Anatta Museum on Monte Verità is dedicated to the ‘back to nature’ enthusiasts from the beginning of the century. The lovely Brissago Islands, known for their botanical gardens, are accessible by boat.

Locarno’s Old Town is full of winding alleyways, and rich with Italianate squares, arcaded townhouses and very old churches. Every Tuesday in the summer, a free guided walk is conducted by the Tourist Office. St Lawrence Cathedral has a Renaissance façade and three elegant doorways, with frescoes from the 16th century decorating the interior. Giardini Jean Arp is a lakeside park populated by surrealist sculptures, and the Lido offers beaches and a swimming pool. The 15th century Visconteo Castle has a permanent exhibition of Roman glass. You can also tour Alprose Chocolate Museum, Switzerland’s largest chocolate manufacturer, and learn about the history of chocolate production. On Thursdays you can visit the local market to sample a few delicacies and watch the streets really come to life with colour and enthusiasm.

The sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso is reached by funicular from Locarno, with an enviable hillside position looking down across the city and Ascona. Famous paintings are exhibited in the church and statues line the stairway. From here you can take a cable car up to Cardada, and then to Cimetta at 1,672m above sea level. From here you can see both the highest and lowest points in Switzerland simultaneously: the Valais Alps and Lake Maggiore.

Monte San Salvatore bears an uncanny resemblance to Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro and can also be reached by funicular from Lugano. The summit of Monte Brè is reached by taking the funicular from Cassarate.

Make the most of your eight-day rail pass to explore the many lakeside towns villages. The small town of Ronco sopra Ascona is famous for its cigars. Bellinzona is the capital of Ticino and the most Italianate town in Switzerland. It is home to three of Switzerland’s best preserved medieval castles, each with its own museum. Grand Castle, the middle of the three, dates from the 6th century, whilst Montebello Castle rises above the town. Sasso Corbaro Castle is located higher on the hillside, and therefore requires more of a walk. Bellinzona has a market on the main street every Saturday.

You can also take a scenic 2 hour journey on the Centovalli Express, travelling from Locarno to Domodossola in northern Italy. Reputedly one of the most romantic train journeys in Europe, you will pass through many pretty villages with striking historic buildings, including the imposing church of the Madonna of the Blood perched on the edge of a sheer cliff  in the picturesque village of Re, before crossing over the border into Italy. Gently sloping valleys are interspersed with narrow gaps, tunnels and bridges that reach across channels of white and turquoise waters. Enjoy exploring the town, before returning by train to Locarno.

Many festivals and concerts are held in the Ticino region. ‘Primavera Concertistica’ (Spring Concert) is a series of classical music concerts held in Lugano during April and May, whilst ‘Settimane Musicali’ (Musical Weeks) is an international festival of classical music, held between August and October. Festa New Orleans is an open-air jazz festival held in Ascona at the end of June, and Piazza Blues is an open-air Blues festival held in Bellinzona, also at the end of June. Locarno International Film Festival takes place for two weeks in August, with the Piazza Grande taken over by the festival every evening.

The abundance of local activities, from exploring picturesque waterside towns and villages, to scenic walks and hiking, will ensure that each of your days at Lake Maggiore is memorable.

Day 8: Ascona to London

On your final day board an early morning train from Ascona, travelling back to Zurich and Paris.

Meet the Eurostar in Paris, arriving in London in the evening.

PRICING

Price is based on two adults sharing en-suite accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis. This price includes second class rail travel, with supplement for first class and standard premier on Eurostar of about £530 per person.

We offer a choice of hotels at different prices, so please discuss your requirements with us. All hotels are subject to availability.

Before your departure, you will receive personalised holiday information, including full directions and suggestions on places to visit, to help you get the most from your trip.

It is essential that you have personal holiday insurance. The FCO should also be consulted.