Travel
Where to today? Locarno: Lago Maggiore, Piazza Grande and Red Carpet
With its 20,000 inhabitants, Locarno is neither too small nor too big to enjoy. Although the town is located on the shore of the Maggiore lake in Switzerland, it really feels like being in Italy.
The city claims to be one of the sunniest place in Switzerland!
Located in the canton of Tessin (Ticino), Italian is spoken there and people , eat in grottoes lots of ice cream. The Italian border is just passed Brissago a few miles away.
Madonna del Sasso church in Orselina and Maggiore Lake
Living only 130 miles (210 km) away from Locarno, I had go to this wonderful place at least once. No regrets! Just that I had to leave. Six days were much too little to enjoy all the places it offers..
We drove via the Gotthard Tunnel on the way there. The drive was not as bad as I had expected. The 10.5 mile (16.9 km) tunnel went quickly. The traffic jam and the queue to enter the tunnel went fast. On the way back, we tried the Gotthard Pass, an alpine road, with nice views. You can stop at the top (6,916 feet/2,108 m) and eat, buy souvenirs and take pictures. Further, you will pass by a wonderful scenic lake, which often has snow on the side even in the summer.
View from the Gotthard Pass in Ticino
A new Gotthard tunnel is under construction and is planned to open either in 2017 or 2018. After completion with a length of 35.4 miles (57 km) it will be the longest tunnel in the world.
When I went to Locarno it happened to be the week of the International Film Festival in Locarno. It was not planned for it, but as we happened to be there at that time, it was worth checking out.
Piazza Grande – getting ready for the International Film Festival
The Locarno film festival is a popular open air festival happening every August for the last 63 years. The movies are shown on a large screen hanging in the largest square in Switzerland, the Piazza Grande.
Amazing place by day with all the old buildings, but at night with muticolor-lights shining on the stones, it is spectacular.
When we made it to the town a few days before the opening, we looked for the ticket office to try to buy tickets for the Saturday screening. The movie “My Sister’s Keeper” with Cameron Diaz would be playing at 9:30 p.m.
We were amazed how easily we got tickets two days before the performance and looked forward to our show. As the seats were not reserved, we decided to go there early to get seats close enough, hoping to recognize a few stars on the Red Carpet and maybe see Cameron Diaz.
Waiting for a movie on the Piazza Grande in Locarno
However, the evening did not go as we had the least expected it! It was a hot night, with people pick-nicking on the chairs with cheese and bread and drinking wine and champagne.
As the Piazza Grande was getting fuller and fuller, the sky was turning from light to dark gray. At the exact same second, the film was about to start, a big drop of water fell on my shoulder. In no time hail started and a real storm pushed almost every movie watcher to leave their seat, running in every direction or looking for shelter!
What an experience on the Piazza Grande!
Rain at the Locarno Film Festival
Movies are normally canceled 30 minutes before the start if a storm or rain is expected. Then the film is shown inside a theater later on.
We never saw the film and returned to the hotel soaked as if all the water on the earth had fallen on us!
There are many things you can do while in Locarno.
What to see while vsiting in Locarno:
- Old city with the Piazza Grande
- Castello Visconteo, a castle dating back to the 12th
- Madonna del Sasso church in Orselina
- Maggiore Lake (Lago Maggiore): Take a boat tour or walk along the Promenade on Lungollago G. Motta.
- International Film Festival August 4-14th
- Moon and stars Festival July 7-17th since 2004
View of the Lepontine Alps from Cimetta
Many stars such as Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Joe Coker, Eros Ramazzotti, Pink, James Blunt and Kathy Melua have come once or twice to the festival.
- Take the cable to Cimetta from Orselina and then hike down to Cardada- great view of the lake of Maggiore from 1670 meters and Lepontine Alps. Click here for their website. Check with your hotel for discounted prize for the cable car. It is also a good place to go paragliding and mountain biking.
- Swimm and have fun at the Lido: it has a playground, a sandy beach, children pools, and large slides. Located on Via Respini 11 Opened 8:30a.m. to 10 p.m. Mon-Fri and to 8:30p.m on the weekends.
Nice places to visit around Locarno:
- Ascona: city market on the promenade is a place, grottoes and cafés
- Ronco Sopra Ascona: breathtaking panorama from the church; wander through the narrow streets to cool down.
- hike to Brissago going by and under palm, banana and bamboo trees.
Hope you will stop by Locarno some day.
Maggiore Lake in Ascona
Where is the Festival of Locarno:
On the Piazza Grande in Locarno
Call (0)91 791 00 91. Check the Pardo website:
How to buy tickets:
Order on line; programm comes out on July 14th.
Where to eat around Locarno:
There are numerous places which I recommend in the region. See my previous article about dining in Ticino.
How to get to Locarno:
Lugano Agno Aiport
Good train connection from Zürich and Milano
By car with the Gotthard Tunnel or Gotthard Pass
