Can't believe I'm the first to review Castelgrande in Bellinzona This was probably my fourth visit…read moreand it was just as lovely as the first. Although, I must admit that I especially enjoy it in October when the leaves are changing, the temperature has dropped and the tourists are nowhere to be found. Tip: grab a pastry or drink from Migros at the base of the castle and bring it up with you for a picnics with a view. My fondest memory from Castelgrande was sitting on the top overlooking the mountains eating a rhubarb tart with my mom. A few fun facts about Bellinzona's treasure: -it's free to visit (fee for the museum) - received unesco heritage site status in 2000 for cultural significance -there's an elevator to the top helping this spot serve everyone -there are plenty of steps to be had if you're hoping to go to the "top top"

Castelgrande is one of the three castles located in Bellinzona that have been on the UNESCO world…read moreheritage site list since 2000. These castles were built by the Dukes of Milan in the 15th century. The Castlegrande is the largest of the three castle complexes. There is a museum that you can tour on the inside, but as I was visiting off season on a Sunday, the museum was not open. However the castle grounds were open to walk through. I haven't had so much fun roaming around castle grounds before. You could even climb the stairs of most of the outside complex stone walls and have a great view. It is quite a large area, and it was just fun to explore and to take in the history of the place, and to imagine all the people over the years who have visited the same complex. Castlegrande is located on a rocky peak overlooking the valley, with a series of fortified walls that protect the old city and connect to the second castle (Montebello). The third castle (Sasso Corbaro) is located on an isolated rock southeast of the other two. It is a bit of a climb to get to Castlegrande, but I hear there is a lift that is working when the museum is open. You also need to hike a bit to make it to the other two. Castlegrande was used to defend against intruders, and were army garrison's, not meant for medieval prince and princess to live in. Definitely a beautiful place to explore and loose yourself in time.

Along the twisting mountain road leading to the historic Furka pass you'll find the location where…read moreJames Bond's Aston Martin shredded the tires of Tilly Masterson's Ford Mustang. Beautiful scenery and a perfect route to take for a day excursion when you are in Andermatt.

B o n g i o r n o... What a quant little Palazzo located next to Lake Como. Palazzo means square…read more Walk around on the ancient cobblestone streets to the many shops, eateries and churches. Plenty of Gelaterias for the ice cream addicts like myself. All though, it's a little hard to tell where one Palazzo ends and the other one starts, it's all one beautiful village.

The second of the three Bellinzona UNESCO world heritage site castles. The walls of Castlegrande…read moreconnect to Montebello, and it is quite impressive to see the three castles standing strong together (although the third castle is not connected by the walls of the other two). Unlike the Castelgrande, Montebello was not protected by natural features. It is surrounded by deep moats that protected the walls. The castle is a bit smaller than Castlegrande. There is a museum here, but the Sunday we went it was closed, but, the grounds and castle walls free to explore. It was fun to explore and climb around the castle. As it is smaller, it is not quiet as breathtaking as Castlegrande. But, still fun to see. The inner keep dates back to before 1313.

This is definitely my favorite castle of the three in the area. It's extremely beautiful and quite…read morea hike to get up to, but the views are worth it. Between this and the third, highest castle, the ascent is fairly steep and difficult, but I think the views they give of Bellinzona are about the same more or less. I was much more impressed by the various alleyways and walkways that Montebello had that you could explore. I guess my favorite part about Montebello was the fact that it wasn't just this one grand open courtyard, but you could really navigate throughout the castle. There's also a lovely huge grass area that I saw a lot of people laying around and enjoying the sun in. This was a very quintessential medieval like castle, and I highly recommend going to this one if you don't have the chance to visit the other two!

Came here at the recommendation of a friend living in Zurich. Such a wonderful experience. The…read moresmall island is a short boat ride from Locarno (also a short boat ride from Ascona). Entrance fee was small (about 8CHF). But wow, what a view! And the flowers! Heavenly. The smell of Jasmine was everywhere. Loved the flowers from around the globe, the Roman "bath" and the Bamboo garden. Very easy to spend an entire day here. A must visit, especially if you like nature, flowers, spectacular views, and the outdoors.

The funicular is the start of a journey that you have to make if you find yourself in Locarno on a…read moreclear day. Riding the funicular is like taking a step back in time, with wooden seats and paneling. The ride takes you up the hillside in about 5 minutes, giving a great view down over Locarno, and a couple of stops on the way up. Then the cable car awaits...

This seems the same listing but with different name for the Como Cathedral. The duomo in Como is…read moredefinitely worth visiting, which is usually referred as the last cathedral built in Italy. It's very beautiful and spectacular both outside and inside, and it's the most impressive church in this area. I'd certainly recommend visiting here.