Lugano excursions: Board one of the lake steamers on Lake Lugano to Gandria and enjoy an excellent meal "lakeside" at one of the famous Grotto's in Gandria. After lunch walk back along the promenade to Lugano. Or visit Swiss Miniature in Melide, a sort of outdoor museum with miniatures of the most picturesque places in Switzerland.

Excursions
The unusual shape of Lake Lugano makes it appear to extend arms in every direction and its banks, in part left untouched and in part adorned by picturesque villages, are particularly inviting and have interesting boat trips to offer.

Monte Bre
Take the aerial cableway from Cassarate up to the summit of Monte Bre (Bus No. 1 from the Center of Lugano to Cassarate). A unique opportunity not only to enjoy the magnificent vista far beyond the national border, but to see the entire city of Lugano and its environs lying at your feet. On the summit there are several restaurants with magnificent vantage points on their terraces. A short walk leads down to the village of Bre, which has preserved its old, typical Ticinese village center and even enriched it by adding works of art. Here you can view frescoes by Joseph Birò and Luigi Taddei, sculptures by Pasquale Gilardi and the Museum of Wilhelm Schmid.

Mte. San Salvatore
An aerial cable-car whisks you to the summit. The new panorama car takes tourists in 10 minutes to the peak of San Salvatore. The trains run every half hour from March to November. In the summer the last mountain train to the valley leaves at 11 p.m. From the roof of the church you can enjoy the unique 360 panoramic view. From the peak you can descend along the panorama trail to Ciona (Carona) or hike the loop which - by way of two didactic trails - leads through a nature park, where you are constantly surrounded by the regional flora and fauna.

City Excursions

Summer Sports

Winter Sports

Entertainment

Shopping
Via Nassa is one of Lugano’s historical streets - its particular and sophisticated shops make for a great shopping experience. Shops are generally open from 9:00 am to 6:30 pm.

The Lugano market offers the typical food products of small farmers that sell their flowers, fruit and vegetables directly. It takes place on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:00 to 12:00 am on Piazza della Riforma.

Events
Lugano Festival
April - June. Featuring great classical music with evening concerts and the participation of world famous soloists and directors: it is an important pole of cultural attraction to which the Martha Argerich Project is also associated. www.luganofestival.ch

Jazz Festival Lugano
June - July. Free, open-air jazz concerts: featuring the best of contemporary music in its different expressions with world famous artists and groups. This event is not to be missed and not only by jazz fans. www.estivaljazz.ch

Link to other current Lugano events

Museums
Swiss Customs Museum, Cantine di Gandria
The museum in the former frontier guards' house, which can be reached only by ship, shows something of the history of smuggling, the way of life and work of customs men in the past and modern forms of crime prevention. Attractive exhibits, modern presentation methods and special exhibitions on subjects of current interest make the museum a popular destination.