Welcome to Ticino Mr. Chopra. ticino.ch

Ticino. Switzerland’s romantic gateway. Ticino is the only Swiss region entirely located south of the Alps. It covers a territory of 2’812 Km2, which could fit 13 times in the state of Kerala. It has 328’580 inhabitants and Italian as its official language. Ticino is a land of extraordinary and fascinating natural contrasts, it offers a large variety of landscapes: mountains, alpine lakes, waterfalls, glaciers, charming towns with characteristic stone houses, palm trees on lake shore, islands and botanical gardens. The northern part is dominated by the Alps; here the mountains reach up to 3’400 meters, while the southern part has gentle rolling hills. It is the only Swiss region that has palm trees and glaciers within 50 km radius. Ticino’s history, culture and fine cuisine blend with those of the nearby Italian border regions, offering both Swiss quality and Italian lifestyle. Among Ticino’s main attraction is the mild and sunny climate, which differs from the rest of Switzerland thanks to the Alpine range that acts as a barrier between north and south. The best time to visit is from March to November. Then there are the two UNESCO world heritage sites in Ticino: since the year 2000 the three medieval castles of Bellinzona and since 2003 Mt. San Giorgio with its geological and fossil treasures. There is also the natural setting of the Alps that offer various unforgettable outdoor possibilities accessible not only on foot, but also by cableways. The many scenic lookouts offer unforgettable breathtaking views in a spectacular backdrop of snow capped mountains and are a must for every visitor. Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore offer romantic lake cruises and promenades inviting visitors to forget the hustle and bustle of city life and just enjoy the dolce vita. Dear Mr. Chopra, thank you for your interest in Ticino, we wish you a wonderful stay.

Ticino Switzerland Europe

Admire all of Ticino from above living real emotions.

Discover Ticino through a tailor-made panoramic flight over the Lugano, Locarno and Bellinzona region admiring picturesque valleys, dramatic mountains, lakes, gleaming glaciers, majestic waterfalls, impressive dams, medieval castles, Romanic churches, countless alpine lakes, green meadows, pristine forests and much more. Departure from Locarno’s airport, 10 driving minutes from downtown Locarno. The flight takes approximately 1 hour. Please contact Ms. Veronica Lafranchi from Ticino Tourism at (0041) 079 621 99 11 to book for an incredible helicopter adventure.

Ticino from above. Fly Ticino.

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Cableways, funicular and cogwheel railways.

Mt. Bré, Mt. San Salvatore, Mt. Generoso, Mt. Tamaro, Cardada and Ritom. These are just a few names of places all over Ticino offering a unique ascent by cable car, funicular or cogwheel train. On top you will experience 360° breathtaking views, not only of Ticino and its surroundings, but also of the magnificent range of the Swiss and Savoy Alps, ranging to the Matterhorn and Mt. Blanc. Ticino’s cableways, funicular and cogwheel railways are easily accessible by car, bus and other mean of transport.

Tip. Transfer to Locarno, take the Locarno-Orselina funicular, once in Orselina take to the cable car and go to the top of Locarno. On the top admire the incredible panorama, take a walk in Cardada’s natural surrounding and have a refreshing drink at the restaurant.

Please contact Ms. Veronica Lafranchi at (0041) 079 621 99 11 if you would like more suggestions, information or for a guided tour.

Breathtaking views. Simply irresistible.

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Our attractive Valleys. Our many Valleys have so much to offer, from journeys framed by dramatic mountains along crystal clear rivers in a unique green surrounding, through bridges and charming stone-house hamlets to little churches in the woods, wildflowers and wild animals. Visit the valley’s small villages to discover Ticino’s cultural heritage and history. Places not to miss are: the Muggio Valley with its distinctive environment, the picturesque Maggia Valley, the famous Verzasca Valley and the alpine Leventina Valley. Tip. Live Ticino with style and visit Foroglio, a small romantic village in the picturesque Maggia Valley and contemplate the majestic 80 m high waterfall that rushes down spectacular rocks in a fairytale backdrop. Relax at the nearby grotto La Froda (a typical cozy tavern) for a refreshing drink or a nice meal. Furthermore continue onto Sonlerto, stop to sightsee this one of a kind stone village, then go onto San Carlo. Here take the cable car to Robiei, a 15 minute stunning ride that brings you to admire Ticino’s biggest glacier, and where the beauty of the landscape is enhanced by exceptional flora and fauna.

Please contact Ms. Veronica Lafranchi at (0041) 079 621 99 11 for more suggestions, information or for a guided tour.

Excursions. Discover Ticino’s wild side.

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Lake cruises on Ticino’s lakes.

Experience more wonderful moments relaxing and enjoying the surrounding on a boat stopping to visit enchanting places on Lake Lugano, such as the picturesque fishing village of Gandria or Morcote, or on Lake Maggiore, the Brissago Islands with their gorgeous botanical park.

Tip. From Lugano or Paradiso harbor carry out a lake cruise to Morcote, visit the charming village with its characteristic small alleys, arcades of old patrician homes and valuable architectural monuments. The church’s panoramic terrace offers a wonderful setting sweeping over the lake and the surrounding hillside. Then by boat travel onto Melide to visit the Swissminiatur exhibit featuring in miniature more than 120 models of the most important buildings of Switzerland, including castles, churches, cathedrals, and traditional houses. The exhibit also includes more than 4 km of rails with trains, funiculars, cable-cars and boats in motion. Along the way have a drink, lunch or dinner at a local grotto in Morcote or at the Hotel Del Lago in Melide.

Please contact Ms. Veronica Lafranchi at (0041) 079 621 99 11 if you would like more tips, information or for a guided tour.

Lake cruises. For more wonderful moments.

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Take us home with you.

Ticino has something for every shopper. You can have fun buying souvenirs for your loved ones or yourself at lovely small boutiques in the old town of Locarno, at local traditional markets, at fancy shops and jewelries in the renowned Nassa street in Lugano or at the Foxtown outlet mall in Mendrisio.

Ticino is also rich on cultural sights, not to be missed are the three UNESCO World heritage site castles in the capital of Ticino, Bellinzona, built in medieval times to protect the valleys of Ticino from northern populations. All of the three castles feature a museum, and in the first and the third one there are excellent restaurants, such as the grotto San Michele worth visiting also for the view and the ambiance.

Moreover Lugano has quite a few fascinating churches worth a visit, such as the Santa Maria degli Angioli, located at the end of the Nassa street, a precious artistic masterpiece founded in the 15th century displaying one of the best known Renaissance frescoes in Switzerland.

The Lake Lugano region has quite a few botanical gardens with romantic views. For example the San Grato botanical park in Carona with a great collection of azaleas, rhododendrons and conifers or the Scherrer Park in Morcote with numerous flowers and plants among antique statues and fine ornaments.

Please contact Ms. Veronica Lafranchi at (0041) 079 621 99 11 for more suggestions, information or for a guided tour.

Shopping & culture. Bring Ticino back with you.

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Why Ticino as a film location. ticino.ch

Natural resources. Ticino is a very heterogeneous territory suitable both for alpine and Mediterranean film settings. It is possible to obtain different natural and climatic situation within a little radius, which means less travelling around and time loss.

Distances. Ticino is around 100 km long and covers 7% of the Swiss territory. In 2’812 Km2 there are diverse settings.

Climate. Ticino is known for its sunny and mild climate. The sun shines for an average of 2’300 hours a year. Within Ticino you can find different climates depending on the destination. In fact, Ticino is the sunniest region of Switzerland, but at the same time, the Centovalli (a valley of Ticino), is Switzerland’s rainiest region.

Authenticity. In Ticino there are many different and authentic structures, such as elegant villas or wooden lodges that can be used “as is” for unique settings.

Contrasts. Ticino’s landscape is characterized by a wide variety of contrasts, from glaciers to lakes, from smooth river rocks to impressive mountain rocks, forests to vineyards, old traditional houses to modern architecture, from palm trees to snow, castles to grottos (Ticino’s traditional taverns) and so on.

Services. Thanks to Ticino’s efficient road and railway network its towns are easily accessible. Transfers can be carried out by the over 100 local logistics businesses. Furthermore Ticino is well connected with the rest of Europe thanks to Lugano Airport. It is also close to the international airports of Milan, Zurich and Geneva. The accommodation infrastructure has a capacity of 21’196 beds. Ticino has 9 five-star hotels and 32 four-star hotels. Restaurants are over a hundredth, amongst grottos, pizzerias and 27 catering businesses.

Expertise. Ticino has 2 broadcasting stations: TSI from RTSI, a regional public company of Italian language part of SSR (Switzerland’s radio and television company), and TeleTicino, a private company. Both have the needed equipment to cooperate with a Film Commission. Additionally, there are about 20 local companies active in this field that could be great partners of a Film Commission. From a cultural point of view, in Ticino there are different institutions with a relevant expertise in the audiovisual field: the CISA (International Conservatory of Audiovisual Sciences), SUPSI DACD (Ticino’s University for Professionals, art department) and USI (University of Ticino, architecture department). An interaction and cooperation with these institutions, made possible from a Film Commission, would help the development of the audiovisual industry and would make Ticino more attractive. Another important institution for the achievement of a Film Commission is the tourism board of Ticino (Ticino Tourism). Ticino Tourism has several years of experience in the management of

foreign film productions and has therefore most of the needed information. Ticino Tourism is able to efficiently inform about the logistic, laws, rules, etc. Ms. Tosca Zanotta is in charge of media relations at Ticino Tourism and welcomes and assists foreign productions wanting to realize an audiovisual production in Ticino. Ticino Tourism has also experience in finding interesting locations for producers and to report about procedures, so to enable a smooth shooting. Thanks to the cooperation with the locals tourist offices, the research of desired new shooting locations are well-organized. Switzerland Tourism has been a key partner in supplying foreign film productions to Ticino Tourism.

Locarno Film Festival. Ticino is home of the International Film Festival of Locarno, an internationally known festival at its 62nd edition. It is the only Film Festival in Switzerland of this kind. This event plays a significant role for Ticino.

Foroglio. Maggia Valley. ticino.ch