5 Best Sights in Ticino, Switzerland

A hillside park behind the waterfront, Monte Verità was the site of a utopian, vegetarian artists' colony in the early 1900s. Influenced by Eastern and Western religions as well as new realms of psychology, its ideals attracted thousands of sojourners, including dancer Isadora Duncan, novelist Hermann Hesse, and psychologist Carl Jung. You can visit some of the Monte Verità buildings, including the unusual flat-roofed Casa Anatta, and the museum, which was renovated in 2017. The main park and grounds are open year-round.

A museum since 1854, the Cantonal Museum of Natural History contains exhibits of fossils, animals, and plants, mostly those typical of the region, with all labels in Italian. There's a large section on local crystals, which is especially interesting for people planning long hikes in the mountains.

The thrilling subject of smuggling is brought to life at the Museo Doganale, on the shady southern shore of Lago di Lugano across from Gandria. Known as the "Smuggler's Museum," this place explores the romantic history of clandestine trade between Italy and Switzerland. It bristles with ingenious containers, illicit weapons, and other contraband. You can catch a boat from the jetty in Gandria.

Just behind the train station, this park offers lovely bay views from its rose gardens. A small deer park and playground make it very child-friendly. To get here, take Bus 2 east to the San Domenico stop in Castagnola, or hop aboard the funicular from Old Town.

This lakefront sculpture garden frames a dozen modern works with palms, camellias, oleanders, and magnolias. At the far west end there's a public swimming area.