Bellinzona is one of those places you go and think, why didn’t anyone ever tell me about this place before? Despite its beauty, charm, and UNESCO World Heritage Site status, Bellinzona is rarely mentioned amongst the highlights of Switzerland (perhaps this country just has too many highlights?).

This Italian-speaking town is nestled into a valley which forms an important pass through the Alps. This geographic significance caused it to be a hot commodity back in the days before airplanes and tunnels and other Alp-crossing devices. Thus it was heavily fortified, with three castles and a wall that spanned across the entire valley. It’s hard to imagine that whoever built these castles intended them as anything other than beautiful scenery, though, since they are so picturesque it hurts.

We visited two of the three castles (the third is closed during the off season), and walked along some of the remaining wall, and wandered all over the charming old town (which was full of carnival revelers). More than anything we just soaked up the beauty of this city from every possible angle. We had a decent lunch at the Grotto in Castelgrande (I would highly recommend sitting out on its terrace if you visit in the high season). Bellinzona is definitely worth a day or two.

This weekend we escaped the balmy heat wave of Zurich and went somewhere cooler and less sunny. You know, somewhere with palm trees and a Mediterranean climate. Ticino.

Ticino is one of the southern cantons of Switzerland, bordering Italy. It boasts an interesting mix of characteristics from both Swiss and Italian culture, usually (but not always) coming away with the best of each. The language is Italian, the architecture is Italian, and the food is predominantly Italian (although the giant portion sizes and propensity to abuse salad dressing are definitely Swiss). It also has the cleanliness and safety of the rest of Switzerland, as well as the efficient public transportation. It’s hard not to love Ticino.

Locarno lies at the northern end of Lago Maggiore (one of the breathtaking lakes of the northern Italian lake region) and is surrounded by picturesque mountains. The old city center is quaint and full of cobblestones and beautiful buildings (which show their age via their chipped plaster and fading frescos). In this unseasonably warm February, streets were lined in some places with outdoor tables, where committed espresso-drinkers sat sipping, smoking, gesticulating, and people-watching. We enjoyed strolling through the old town and along the lakeside promenade.

One of the highlights of Locarno was the Santuario Madonna del Sasso, a large church complex perched high above the city (reachable by funicular). The church itself harbors an eerie collection of small, crude paintings offering thanks and depicting various tragedies that had been survived (car accidents, illnesses, brutal attacks by a gang of masked armed men…). The views from the complex are truly spectacular.

We attempted to get in for an early dinner at Ristorante Locanda Locarnese, a modern restaurant with a creative menu and a cozy fireplace, but alas they were completely booked, which of course made me want to eat there even more. Instead we settled on the much more casual Casa del Popolo, a red-and-white-checked-table-cloth kind of place that served giant plates of simple pastas and pizzas. At first sight it reminded me of a hole-in-the-wall we had loved in Milan, but it came up lacking. The pasta was unexciting, and the prices were pretty high for the kind of place it was (another reminder that we really were still in Switzerland). The homemade tiramisu did manage to redeem the place a little bit.

Our hotel was entirely adequate and a good deal with its off-season rates. Its location near the train station in the city center made it convenient for travel and for pretty much everything else there is to do in Locarno.

Up next: Bellinzona (the non-carnival bits)