Lugano: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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CHF 240 - 650 Hotel Splendide Royal
 Established in 1887, the 5-star Splendide Royal with its turn-of-the-century character is Lugano´s most fashionable hotel, located on Lugano&acu… MoreCHF 225 - 1,000 Villa Sassa Hotel & Spa
 The Villa Sassa Hotel & Spa offers breathtaking views over Lugano, the lake and surrounding mountains and is only a few minutes away from the city cen… MoreCHF 132 - 440 Lugano Dante Center Swiss Quality Hotel
 The hotel is part of an 19th century recently restored Palazzo, located in the heart of Lugano´s old town, a few steps from the lake and close t… MoreCHF 203 - 730 Residence Principe Leopoldo
 Hidden in a tranquil park amid lovely flower-filled gardens, the Residence Principe Leopoldo, with its classical style and ample space, evokes the fee… MoreCHF 150 - 250 Continental Parkhotel
 The family-run Continental Parkhotel is located 200 metres south of the main railway station of Lugano, where the funicular leaves regularly for the c… MoreCHF 293 - 1,010 Villa Principe Leopoldo Hotel & SPA
 Once a prince´s residence, The Villa Principe Leopoldo Hotel & Spa can be found amid a wonderful park high above Lugano, offering superb views o… MoreCHF 185 - 434 Hotel du Lac
 Situated on the lakeside, a stone´s throw from the centre of Lugano, the Hotel du Lac hotel offers splendid views over the Lugano Bay and a grea… MoreCHF 199 - 730 Suitenhotel Parco Paradiso
 The Hotel Parco Paradiso attracts both leisure and business travellers and offers the most spectacular views of Lugano and its lake. Each of the 65 sp… MoreCHF 168 - 549 Grand Hotel Eden
 The Grand Hotel Eden is located on the waterfront of Lugano Paradiso, one of the sunniest spots in Ticino.
Spacious bedrooms, excellent service, the… MoreCHF 140 - 440 Hotel Federale
 This family-owned hotel is centrally located just a short walk from downtown Lugano and its breathtaking lakeshore, and the famous Piazza Riforma with… MoreCHF 120 - 290 Delfino
 The Hotel Delfino has a privileged location close to the lake shore and next to the pedestrian area which leads into the heart of the city of Lugano.
… MoreCHF 152 - 244 Hotel Walter Au Lac
 Situated on the lake promenade near the traffic-free centre of Lugano, Hotel Walter Au Lac offers you air-conditoned rooms, all with superb lake views… MoreCHF 160 - 260 Hotel International au Lac
 The lake just in front of the hotel´s door, the old town just around the corner and with numerous shops just a stone´s throw away, the Hot… MoreCHF 203 - 378 Best Western Hotel Bellevue au Lac
 The Best Western Hotel Bellevue au Lac is a unique jewel with a more than 100-year-long tradition, situated on the lakeside promenade of Lugano, prov… MoreCHF 119 - 270 Colorado Hotel
 The Hotel Colorado offers a central, yet quiet and sunny location in Lugano.
Individual and first-class service is a high priority for the Bernasconi… MoreCHF 110 - 190 Victoria au Lac
 Housed in a historic lakeside building, the Victoria au Lac hotel in Lugano Paradiso offers you free wireless internet access and views of Lake Lugano… MoreCHF 260 - 320 Hotel Nassa Garni
 It’s a pleasure for us to introduce you our small hotel. In the south part of Switzerland, in the „heart“ of Ticino with marvellous position and… MoreCHF 85 - 280 San Carlo Garni
 Situated in the centre of Lugano, on the elegant, pedestrianized Via Nassa close to the lake and the funicular, the San Carlo Garni hotel offers free … MoreCHF 165 - 510 Hotel De La Paix
 The Hotel de la Paix is housed in a stylish 18th-century building near Lake Lugano, about a 10-minute walk from the city centre and the railway statio… MoreCHF 130 - 269 Hotel Motel Vezia
 This original hotel in the “Fabulous Fifties” look is centrally located, 3 km from the lake and from Lugano’s city centre, and 1.5 km from the m… MoreCHF 101 - 212 Acquarello Swiss Quality Hotel
 The Hotel Acquarello is located in the Old Town of Lugano, right at the lower terminus of the funicular connecting the centre to the main railway stat… MoreCHF 121 - 479 Holiday Inn Lugano Centre
 The Holiday Inn Lugano Centre is located in the residential district of Paradiso, within walking distance of the beautiful lake and the promenade.
Th… MoreCHF 100 - 260 Hotel Besso
 The completely renovated Hotel Besso is situated close to Lugano´s railway station and the city centre and features free wireless internet acces… MoreCHF 55 - 210 Hotel Villa Marita
 Ideally situated in a quiet area surrounded by trees and parkland, 250 metres from the next bus stop, the family-owned Hotel Villa Marita welcomes you… More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lugano: Guide
Lugano is a lake-side city in Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of southern Switzerland. Part of a temperate micro-climate, Lugano offers palm-trees, picturesque boulevards, stunning views of the lake and Alps, and plenty of opportunity of outdoor and indoor activities. Lugano also makes a good base for visiting other cities and sites in the area. The city is dull and lifeless, but a nice place to relax in summertimes.
Get in
By plane
Lugano has a small international airport with flights arriving from many European cities especially Italy, England, France and Germany. Milan's airports are 1 1/2 hours away by bus or train and are served by easyJet and Ryanair. , and offer discount web special prices to Lugano from many parts of Europe.
By train
Trains leave for Zurich (3hr) and Milan (40min-1hour) as well as Geneva (via Zurich or Locarno-Domodossola: 5h30' with 1 or 2 train-change, 6h30' via Milan with 1 train-change). Note that getting to Geneva or points west it is faster to go via Zurich or Locarno as the trains are more frequent and faster.
By car
By bus
There is a shuttle service between Lugano and Milan - Malpensa Airport. See this link: http://www.starbus.info/pagina_orari.php
By boat
Note that a small part of the lake is actually in Italy so bring your passport if you plan on exploring by ferry.
Get around
Lugano is small enough to get around on foot, and many of the streets are pedestrian-only, but the hills above the lakefront are very steep so the bus might be a better option on the way up to the train station if you have a lot of bags. Taxis can be found on the main roads. Ferries and Funiculars are great options for seeing the views.
For more information:
Swiss Miniature Village, Via Cantonale, Melide-Lugano. Tickets: Adults CHF12, Children to 15y CHF7.
Parco Civico
Swimming
Mountain biking
Casinò Lugano , via Stauffacher 1, Tel. +41-91-9737111, Fax +41-91-9737149, email: info@casinolugano.ch. Open every day from 12AM-4AM (Fridays and Saturdays closing time at 5AM). Tables open at 2PM.
The cafeteria in the Manor Department store offers a wide variety of tempting International dishes, ranging from sushi to pasta. Fresh fruits and vegetables arrayed in stylish displays are almost a painting themselves. Wine and beer are available as are a wide range of other beverages. This was one very pleasant discovery on a recent trip.
Argentino, Piazza Riforma, Tel. +41-91-9229049. Excellent pizza, great service. They offer 2 sizes of pizza, price ranges around CHF15-20.
Youth Hostel Lugano, Via Cantonale 13, (91) 966 27 28 (lugano@youthhostel.ch).
Hotel Pestalozzi, Piazza Indipendenza 9, +41 (91) 921 46 46. (fax: +41 91 922 20 45. A very clean and livable family-run hotel with some en-suite rooms and some not. English (and German) are spoken. Single rooms start at 62 Chf. without shower or toilet. http://www.attuale.com/pestalozzi.html
Backpackers Montarina, Via Montarina 1, Lugano, +41 (0) 91 966 72 72. (fax: +41 (0) 91 966 00 17). http://www.montarina.ch/
Grand Hotel Eden, Riva Paradiso, 1, Tel. +41-91-9859200, Fax +41-91-9859250.
Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola, Viale Castagnola 31, Tel. +41-91-9732555, Fax +41-91-9732550, email: info@villacastagnola.com
Principe Leopoldo & Residence, Via Montalbano 5, Tel. +41-91-9858855, Fax +41-91-9858825, email: info@leopoldohotel.com. Rates: CHF450-1,950.
Police (Polizia) – Emergency only: 117
Lost Property Office (Ufficio oggetti smarriti), City of Lugano Police, Via Beltramina 20b.
Tourism Center / Lugano Turismo , Direzione, Piazza Indipendenza 4, Tel. +41-91-9110404, Fax +41-91-9211460, email: info@lugano-tourism.ch.
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikitravel article "Lugano". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 license.
Funicolare Lugano Citta - Stazione, telephone +41 91 800 72 28/29. This funicular links the old center of the town on the lake shore to the railway station higher up the hill.
Funicolare Lugano Paradiso - Monte San Salvatore, telephone +41 91 985 28 28. A funicular which runs from Lugano to the top of the Monte San Salvatore, with spectacular views of the Lake of Lugano, the isthmus of Melide, the Monte Generoso and the Italian enclave of Campione d'Italia on the other side of the lake. http://www.montesansalvatore.ch/
See
Do
Boating
Hiking
:Bike rentals:
:: SFR Railway Station Lugano, Tel. +41-512-215642
:: Balmelli Sport, Via Pioda 12, Tel. +41-91-9235867 Learn
Buy
All the major labels and designer boutiques can be found here, as well as the usual Swiss and Italian knick-knacks.Eat
Budget
Mid-range
Splurge
Drink
In the summer your best bet is just to wander along the lakeside promenade and open air bar/cafes. Check local listings for clubs and shows as venues come and go with the seasons.Sleep
There are a wide range of hotel options right in town, from atmospheric B&Bs to posh four stars to comfy and communal hostels. Be sure to book ahead in the summer, but the rest of the year it's possible to just show up and find something as long as your budget is flexible.Budget
Mid-range
Splurge
Contact
There are a few internet cafes in town, try near the train station.Stay safe
Lugano is as safe as most cities in Switzerland, but the density of expensive purses, watches, and sunglasses may make pickpockets more of a problem. The usual cautions apply to walking alone late a night, especially after bars and clubs close before dawn.Important Numbers
Fire Department (Pompieri): 118
City of Lugano Police: +41 (0)58 866 82 50 (piazza Riforma), +41-58-8668111 (Via Beltramina 20B)
Civic Hospital (Ospedale Civico): +41-91-8116111 (via Tesserete 46 )
Emergency Ward (Pronto Soccorso), Civic Hospital: +41-91-8116006
Ambulances (Ambulanze): 144
Doctor and dentist on call: 1811
Emergency Service - Street aid: 140
Mon-fri: 7:30AM - 12AM, 1:30PM-5PM
Phone: +41-58-8668250Cope
Get out
Trains leave hourly for Milan and Zurich where you can transfer to any destination in Europe.