Lake Lugano

12 Highlights on Lake Lugano

• Navigation on Lake Lugano is possible almost all year round.
• Swissminiatur in Melide shows around 130 distinctive Swiss towns and sights in model form.
• The Riva San Vitale beach in the south of Lake Lugano is open all year round and free of charge for young people under 18.
• Monte Brè, the sunniest mountain in Switzerland, is one of Lugano's local mountains.
• Monte San Salvatore is also Lugano's local mountain. From here you have a wonderful view of Lake Lugano.
• Funiculars take you directly from Lugano to the two local mountains.
• The California Acquapark is located south of Lugano, in Balerna. It attracts visitors with its thermal and wave pool and large water slides.
• The Olive Trail near Gandria is a popular hiking trail along Lake Lugano. Here, as in the Parco dell'olivo to the west, you will see many Mediterranean plants.
• There are several relaxing parks in Lugano that extend as far as Lake Lugano.
• Scuba diving in Lake Lugano is very popular. You will find several diving schools on Lake Lugano that offer this sport.
• Monte San Giorgio (1097 m above sea level) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is surrounded by two arms of Lake Lugano. Marine fossils from the Middle Triassic have been found on the mountain.
• About two thirds of Lake Lugano is located in Switzerland. The other third belongs to Italy.

Places on Lake Lugano

You will find picturesque places and wonderful promenades around Lake Lugano. Here is a brief introduction to some of them:

Lugano on the northern shore of Lake Lugano

Lugano is the best-known and largest town on Lake Lugano. Its old town has spacious squares on the one hand, but narrow and steep alleyways and stairways on the other. The magnificent town houses, which largely date back to the historicist period (19th century), also catch the eye. Lugano is a lively city, characterized above all by Lake Lugano and numerous parks. The Italian influence is clearly noticeable here.

Gandria on Monte Brè

Gandria lies to the east of Lugano on the steep southern slope of Monte Brè. This mountain is considered the sunniest mountain in Switzerland. The church of St. Vigilio in Gandria is well worth a visit. Overall, the village is characterized by narrow alleyways, numerous stairways and old buildings. In the Cantine di Gandria district, you will find the Swiss Customs Museum, which can be visited in summer. It is housed in a former border guard post and is part of the Swiss National Museum.

• Swiss Activities Ticket boat trip Lugano - Gandria

Melide on the lake dam of Lake Lugano

Melide gained particular importance as a trading and customs town in the 15th century. The lake dam was built in the 19th century and provides a lakeside path along the lake to Bissone. Melide is also home to the Swissminiatur, a 14,000 m² model of around 130 prominent points in Switzerland. Melide also has a lido beach, a large park with a children's playground and beautiful hiking trails.

Morcote on Lake Lugano

Morcote is a beautiful village on the northern shore of the southern part of Lake Lugano. In Morcote you will find a ruined castle and an imposing Renaissance church, both of which tower over the village. The church staircase has 404 steps! Numerous chapels can be found throughout the town.

A cemetery laid out in terraces above the town in the mid-18th century features a number of funeral chapels and tombs of famous personalities. Numerous palazzi still bear witness to Morcote's former importance as a trading town. Beautiful arcades along the waterfront invite you to take a stroll. However, the town's main attraction is its fantastic location on Lake Lugano. You should therefore plan enough time for a visit.

Boat trip on Lake Lugano

The Schifffahrt am Luganersee runs from Lugano to several locations around the lake. Three of the 10 scheduled boats are electrically operated and form the "Green Line".

Places on Lake Lugano with boat moorings (all year round)

City, town	Location
Lugano	In the northwest of the eastern arm of Lake Lugano
Paradiso	2 km south of Lugano
Gandria	5 km east of Lugano
San Rocco	On the eastern shore of the eastern arm of Lake Lugano
Melide	6 km south of Lugano, connected to Bissone in the east via the lake dam
Brusino Arsizio Paese	In the south of Lake Lugano, not far from Monte San Giorgio
Morcote	On the northern shore of southern Lake Lugano, ferry service to Porto Ceresio (Italy)

Additional places on Lake Lugano with boat moorings in the summer months (April to October)

City, town	Location
Bissone	Connected to Melide in the west via the lake dam
Caslano	Located in the north-west of the western arm of Lake Lugano
Castagnola - Cassarate	Located at the south-western foot of Monte Brè, belongs to Lugano
Collina d'Oro	Located in the north-east of the western arm of Lake Lugano
Riva San Vitale	In the south of the right arm of Lake Lugano, east of Monte San Giorgio in a beautiful bay
Vico Morcote	4 km east of Morcote

Timetable on Lake Lugano

In the period from April to October, the boats on Lake Lugano run most frequently. The boats sail around 15 times in the morning, at midday and in the evening.

In the period from the end of October to the beginning of December, seven more boats sail between late morning and afternoon on weekdays. At weekends and on public holidays, only three ships operate during this period.

The ferry between Morcote and Porto Ceresio runs in the early morning and early evening.

You can view the current timetables for Lake Lugano here. They include all the shipping companies that operate on the lake.

Lake Lugano water temperature

The water temperature at Lake Lugano can reach up to 27 °C in midsummer. The lowest temperature in winter is 3 °C. As the climate here is very mild, air temperatures hardly ever reach minus degrees.

In summer, you can find a place to swim almost anywhere on the lake. Every village has at least one bathing jetty. There is a wide range of water sports on offer. You can go canoeing or try out water skiing and wakeboarding.

As there tends to be little wind on Lake Lugano, it is quite suitable for beginners in windsurfing and kitesurfing. Professionals in these sports are not to be found here.

Mountains on Lake Lugano

Lake Lugano is surrounded by several mountains. Most of them reach less than 1000 m above sea level, only Monte Generoso lives up to its name.

Monte Generoso east of Lake Lugano

Monte Generoso reaches 1700 m above sea level and towers over the area. From Capolago on the lakeshore, take the 9 km cog railroad up to the panoramic mountain. The view down to the ramified lake and the Italian Alpine region is breathtaking. The Italian border runs right along the mountain.

Monte San Salvatore and Monte Brè also rise up close to Lugano. Both mountains are the local mountains of Lugano. You can easily reach them via funiculars that start directly in Lugano.

Monte Brè on the northern shore of Lake Lugano

Monte Brè is also known as the sunniest mountain in Switzerland and lies at 933 m above sea level to the east of Lugano. It offers views of Lake Lugano, Monte Rosa and the Bernese and Valais Alps. You can reach it by boat from Lugano in the direction of Cassarate. A funicular leads directly from Lugano to the mountain. You can reach the village of Brè on foot after a short walk. The old stone houses, church and cemetery are well worth a visit.

You can buy your ticket to Monte Brè here.

Monte San Salvatore on the northern shore of Lake Lugano

Mount San Salvatore reaches 912 m above sea level and lies directly on Lake Lugano to the west of Lugano. At the summit there is a small viewing tower (12.5 m high), which offers a panorama from left to right over Lugano, Campione d'Italia and Melide. The incomparably beautiful panorama attracts many visitors to the top. The funicular takes you from Lugano to the summit in just 12 minutes.

There you will find a chapel and a museum with geological and ecclesiastical exhibits (open on Wednesdays and Sundays). The museum building was erected in the 17th century for hikers and the poor who were on a pilgrimage to the Church of the Redeemer. Legend has it that Jesus rested here briefly when he was on his way to heaven.

First and foremost, however, the mountain offers plenty of space for physical activities. There is a popular via ferrata and beautiful hiking trails and nature trails. There is also a children's playground and the treasure hunt along the nature trail is ideal for families or school classes. It is easy to walk and only has a few meters of difference in altitude. Stones and fossils found on the mountain can be seen in the museum in San Salvatore.

Getting to Lake Lugano

Lake Lugano is located in southern Ticino, one third of which is in Italy. It is one of the upper Italian lakes between Lake Maggiore and Lake Como.

Public transportation

You can easily get to all places on the lake by public transport. The well-developed and ideally structured rail network ensures a good journey. The best way to get to smaller towns is always via Lugano. You can reach Lugano from Zurich via the Gotthard Base Tunnel every hour in just two hours. (Please note that the tunnel is currently closed until September 2024 due to an accident. The journey time from Zurich is therefore currently just under three hours)

The smaller towns can be reached by S-Bahn, bus, Postbus or Trenitalia. There is a dense transport network in larger towns such as Lugano or Melide.

By car

To visit Lake Lugano by car, it is best to take the A2 between Lucerne and Lugano. From eastern Switzerland, take the A13 through the San Bernardino Tunnel to Lugano.

If you are coming from Zurich, take the A4 to Flüelen and then follow the A2. The journey from Zurich takes just under three hours and takes you through the Gotthard tunnel. Please note that there are regular traffic jams at the Gotthard for several hours during school vacations and on public holidays.

By plane to Lake Lugano

Lugano Airport in Agno is located in the immediate vicinity of Lake Lugano. It offers direct connections to Zurich and Geneva. Due to its proximity to Lugano, the airport is only a 16-minute drive from the center of Lugano. It is served by the S 60 of the Ticino S-Bahn. There are also regular shuttle buses.