Hello lovelies, last weekend we were on the road again and I'm so happy to tell you all about it today. We weren't traveling alone, you see – we'd been invited to Ticino along with 7 other blogger families by Ticino Turismo. Each family had a different program; we were based in the 3 towns of Lugano, Locarno, and Bellinzona, and there was lots to experience and discover.
But first to the start of the trip, because for us it began with a shared train ride from Zurich. In a special compartment reserved just for us bloggers. It was great to get to know the people in charge at Ticino Tourismus and the other blogger families there already. The children hit it off right away, so an entertaining train ride was guaranteed. It went by almost too quickly, though – we'd barely come out of the Gotthard Tunnel when it was already time to get off. I was surprised; I'd really never traveled to Ticino so comfortably and quickly before. No traffic jam in sight, and the trip through the longest railway tunnel in the world is something special too. The Gotthard Base Tunnel, which opened in 2016, is at 57 km the longest railway tunnel in the world. A thank-you also to the lovely lunch box from Rapelli that we received on the train – a vegan package was made up especially for us, very thoughtful!
In Bellinzona we sadly had to say goodbye to the other families already. We changed once more onto the regional train, because our way led us to beautiful LOCARNO. Once there, we could walk to our accommodation, the Hotel America, which sits right on the famous Piazza Grande. The hotel owes its name, by the way, to the famous Locarno Film Festival, which every year welcomes the many stars of the glamorous movie world right outside the hotel door. The Locarno Film Festival, founded in 1946, screens its films each August on a giant screen on the Piazza Grande, which then seats up to 8,000 spectators.
Here's a little peek into our lovely, friendly balcony room, with a view of the Piazza. I was especially happy about the big, great bed (since Papa Frei was sadly away on a business trip, this time only the ladies of the family were traveling); the girls had their own sofa bed. The room is also equipped with a little fridge and coffee machine and was very spacious and cozy overall.
First of all we naturally wanted to explore Locarno a little; from our hotel everything is wonderfully within walking distance, so we set off for the lake. I really like Locarno – I love the charm of the old colorful houses, the palm trees, and of course the incredibly beautiful panorama with the mountains and Lake Maggiore. At a surface elevation of roughly 193 m, Lake Maggiore is in fact the lowest point in Switzerland.
First we naturally had to buy an ice cream – that's simply part of the dolce vita feeling that sets in the moment you stroll along the lake. Spring has definitely already arrived in Locarno, and it was so lovely to see how beautifully the trees are already blooming – our favorite was this magnolia tree, amazing, right?
In the afternoon we got to set off on our first adventure, namely a visit to the Lido Locarno – exactly the right thing for my two little water rats. The Lido is easy to reach on foot too; we walked about 15 minutes, but of course there's a bus connection as well. What immediately catches the eye is the pool's great location, right on the lake with a fantastic view of the mountains. There's a big outdoor area with several pools, all of which are open especially in summer, and a lakeside beach. Right now only the warm thermal pool was open outside, with various massage loungers and ways to relax. Inside there's a big pool for swimmers, a children's pool, and the highlight for the girls was the inflatable fun course in one of the pools. There are also 4 slides; 3 of them were open, and since my two ladies didn't want to slide, I very bravely volunteered to test all 3 (someone's got to do it :-)). And what can I say – it's really lots of fun, but more suited to slightly older children. Two of the slides are a bit dark at first and then have cool light effects, and one is quite fast with a funny outdoor funnel. All in all we had a fun but also relaxed afternoon at the Lido, and especially in summer, when the whole offering is available, I can well imagine spending a complete day there.
****The 4 pictures above are from the official Lido Locarno homepage ***
In the evening we were treated to a set menu in our Hotel America. The hotel had already inquired about our diet in advance and put together a special vegan menu. I'm always positively surprised, and at the same time glad, to see how much effort hotels and restaurants now make to cater to guests with special diets too. For the starter there was delicious grilled vegetables and tofu, for the main course a vegetable patty with sides, and for dessert a beautifully arranged fruit salad. The girls had decided on gnocchi and were happy with that.
On an evening stroll we then admired the Piazza Grande by night. What was especially striking was that the art installation by the artist Oppy de Bernardo was on display there at the time. The exhibition is called «Apolide» – in English: Stateless. With 6,500 plastic swim rings spread over 3,500 square meters of the Piazza Grande in Locarno, the Ticinese action artist wants to draw attention to the many refugees from the countries of Africa and the Middle East who have drowned.
On Sunday, after a delicious breakfast at the hotel (again a big thank-you to the hotel, which had bought extra vegan products for us), we set off for our next adventure. This time we took the bus, because we had to get to Gordola. In general it's no problem at all to get around Ticino by public transport, because on arrival at the hotel we were handed the Ticino Ticket right away. Besides free travel on all public transport, holders of the Ticino Ticket get discounts at various mountain railways and tourist attractions. The Ticino Ticket for overnight guests is handed out by more than 500 partner accommodations across Ticino. That's of course a brilliant thing when, like us, you arrive by train – that way you can easily discover every corner of Ticino!
After barely 20 minutes (bus and a short walk), we arrived at the Parco Avventura – a ropes course where we spent Sunday morning. We were warmly welcomed by the owner Paolo Giovannini, who showed us everything. The park offers various climbing routes not just for children but for adults too. Between trees and platforms, different courses for all age groups are strung up, on which big and small can train their balance and prove their agility. The facility is incredibly well kept and tidy, and you can immediately tell how much heart and work is invested there.
This time, though, I sent the girls ahead – that's what you have children for, after all, right? So they were equipped and got a super briefing from the friendly and helpful staff. For the children's routes there's a special rope system with a glider that they can operate very independently after a short explanation. That way they're not only optimally secured but can also unhook themselves at the end of the course, walk back to the start, and carry straight on climbing. After a little initial uncertainty, the girls had great fun at the ropes course and repeated the route several times. They even absolutely wanted to go a difficulty level higher; we tried it too, but in the end it was a bit much for them.
Above the climbing course there's a lovely playground, drinks and ice cream are sold, and there are offerings for groups and children's birthdays. We really had a wonderful morning at the Parco Avventura, and you can spend a few exciting hours there as a family.
On Paolo's recommendation we took a little walk through the forest along the river and caught a different bus back to Locarno – no problem with the Ticino Ticket. Back in Locarno we treated ourselves to a pizza, which somehow just belongs to a visit to Ticino. And then it was time to say goodbye, with the train back through the Gotthard Tunnel. This time we even rode only as far as Zug and then took the regional train to Affoltern a. Albis – that was even faster.
It was such a wonderful weekend, and sometimes, with all the far-flung travel, you forget how close to home we have an incredibly varied offering and impressive, wonderful places. And now I'm sure you're curious too about what the other blogger families experienced. Dear Rita from Die Angelones will gather all the posts in her blog post, and I'll post the link here again then. A big thank-you to her and to Ticino Turismo, who invited us for this weekend. And of course to the Hotel America, the Lido Locarno, and Parco Avventura for the lovely stay and the wonderful experiences and #ticinomoments.
If you are looking for more family trip ideas in Switzerland, you will find more tips for the region in our family weekend in Ticino and a trip to central Switzerland in our weekend in Lucerne with kids.
See you soon
Love, Verena
**The trip was a press trip in cooperation with Ticino Tourismus, but reflects our own opinion. *
