beautiful lugano, switzerland.

exploreLeave a comment

mountains & lakes & swans. oh my.

Lugano, Switzerland is the most enchanting place I have ever been. I spent five days in this incredible city and made the most of every single one. Want a peek into my Swiss adventures? Look no further.

Day One.

I fell in love with Switzerland the second I crossed the border. I was immediately in awe of the views this country has to offer.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

I arrived at my home for the next five days, Hotel Delfino. You should definitely check out how awesome my stay was.

Processed with VSCO with c1 presetProcessed with VSCO with a6 preset

Processed with VSCO with c1 presetProcessed with VSCO with c1 presetProcessed with VSCO with c1 preset

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

After admiring the view, I got ready for a fashion show the hotel was hosting.

Processed with VSCO with c1 presetProcessed with VSCO with c1 presetProcessed with VSCO with c1 preset

The show was absolutely incredible. I ate, mingled and fawned over the stunning models and wedding dresses made by local designers.

Processed with VSCO with c1 presetProcessed with VSCO with c1 presetProcessed with VSCO with c1 preset

Did I mention I ate?

Day Two.

Hotel Delfino knows how to start the morning. Breakfast buffets are synonymous with happiness. With a full day ahead, a big breakfast was a necessity.

Processed with VSCO with c1 presetProcessed with VSCO with c1 presetProcessed with VSCO with c1 preset

It was time to start the day with a walk. As usual, I made a new friend. I liked the swan a lot more than the swan liked me.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetProcessed with VSCO with c1 preset

I made it to the LAC (Lugano Arte e Cultura). The exterior was just as impressive as the art inside.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetProcessed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

After the LAC, I headed into the city center where shops line the street. By the looks of these pictures, you can tell I did a lot of window shopping.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

I stopped at a department store called Manor. To no one’s surprise, I headed straight for the shoe department. As I looked for one of my favorite things in the world, I stumbled upon another favorite – pizza.

Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetProcessed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

After refueling, I continued our walk through the city center until we reached a charming park.

Processed with VSCO with c1 presetProcessed with VSCOcam with c1 presetOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetProcessed with VSCO with c1 preset

Then, I decided it was time to see Lugano from the top of Monte Brè. We took a funicular to the peak and explored for hours. I outlasted the crowd and was the only one on top of the mountain for the sunset – an experience I will never forget.

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

Day Three.

I began the day with another funicular. This took me to the top of the other mountain in town, Monte San Salvatore. With a 360 degree view of pure water, clouds and mountains, I highly suggest this as a bucket list spot.

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

Processed with VSCO with c1 presetunnamed (2)

I spent the afternoon with the owner of Hotel Delfino, Federico Haas. He showed me around the city of Bellinzona, which included lovely castles.

Processed with VSCO with c1 presetOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

He continued to challenge me with history questions regarding culture, religion and geography. Let’s just say my high school history teachers wouldn’t be very proud of my performance.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

Federico’s son, Thomas, had a hockey game that night with a local professional team. He brought me along for the fun. It just so happens that Thomas and my friend Rae have mutual friends. What a small world.

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

Thomas explained that I couldn’t be in Lugano without experiencing the nightlife. He and his friends had a table at a nightclub called Seven and invited me. Bottle service in Switzerland? Yes, please. Thanks, Thomas!

Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetProcessed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

Day Four.

Coffee with a view is exactly what I needed after our long night of dancing.

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

I had seen the lake from two different mountains, but couldn’t leave town without going out on the water myself.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

I forgot to mention that I failed swim lessons as a child until after I got on the boat…

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

After a day on the water, I had dinner at Ristorante Delfino. The food was delicious and gone before I wanted it to be.

Processed with VSCO with c1 presetProcessed with VSCO with c1 presetProcessed with VSCO with c1 presetProcessed with VSCO with c1 presetProcessed with VSCO with c1 preset

I finished the meal with some homemade gelato… because duh. Sorry there isn’t a picture, it was gone faster than a camera flash.

Day Five.

It was my last day in Lugano, so I knew I had to wake up to watch the sunrise from bed one more time.

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

With only a couple hours before our train left, I joined the chef at Hotel Delfino for a cooking class.

Processed with VSCO with c1 presetProcessed with VSCO with c1 preset

It was so sweet of them to take time to teach me how to make their incredible risotto. Get excited, this recipe is coming back to the states with me.

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

I didn’t light anything on fire and the food was amazing. Phew. That’s a first for me.

With full stomachs and full hearts, we headed to the train station.

I want to give a big thank you to Hotel Delfino Lugano and Lugano Tourismo for helping me make the most of my time in the city. Lugano, Switzerland will be hard to top. I am grateful for the views, faces and moments that I will cherish forever.

img_4567

It’s hard saying see you later to a place like Lugano, but the sunset in Cinque Terre was calling my name.

always,
madeline

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s