With Mediterranean flair, Lugano offers all the advantages of a world-class city, combined with the cachet of a small town. It is an exciting place, full of energy and style. The city is framed on all sides by wooded, sugar loaf hills rising from the water that have led to its being dubbed the “Rio of the Old World”.

A small city with a temperate micro-climate, which offers palm trees, picturesque boulevards, stunning views of the lake and the Alps. It is easy to get around on foot, and many of the streets are pedestrian-only. The traffic-free historic town centre, the numerous buildings in Lombardy style, the exclusive museums, the mountains, lake and a packed calendar of events all invite visitors to see the sights, soak up the atmosphere – and enjoy "dolce farniente".

Art connoisseurs are attracted to this city of art and architecture by the high standard of the exhibitions it hosts. In the last 50 years, the Ticino region, and Lugano in particular, have developed into an important region for architecture.

The two closest mountains to Lugano, Monte San Salvatore and Monte Brè, give you an outstanding panorama of the town, Lake Lugano and the alpine scenery. From Monte Brè there is a walk down to the village of Brè, which has preserved its typical Ticino village centre, and enhanced it with works of art.