Another Swiss city on a gorgeous lake, Italian-speaking Locarno has more charm than Lugano and more life than Ascona, two other popular Ticinese destinations. Here, the vistas are breathtaking, the food and wine simple and comforting, and the sub-tropical vegetation luxuriant with palm trees and bright flowers (Locarno is famous for its hundreds of varieties of camellias). There are cobblestoned, arcaded piazzas, narrow alleys, ancient stone churches, grand old Italian-style villas, and, of course, hundreds of umbrella tables at dozens of outdoor cafes from which to savor it all.

Top Sights:
• The Madonna del Sasso
• the Lake

Suggested Activities:
• Take a morning train from Locarno to Domodossola in Italy and return in the late afternoon. Very scenic.

Places to Stay:
• Hotel Orselina, CH-6644 Orselina, tel. +41/091/735 44 44, fax 735 44 66, email: hotel@orselina.com, web: www.orselina.com. Doubles with breakfast and dinner from $245        
• Villa Pauliska, Via Orselina 6, CH-6600 Locarno-Muralto, tel. +41 091 743 05 41, fax 743 9517. Doubles from  about $75 (no breakfast served).

A Place to Dine:
• Go to the nearby village of Intragna for a meal at Stazione "da Agnese"