Hello lovelies, I hope you're all doing well and got to enjoy the holidays (if you had any). We were so happy to get to travel a little again, namely for a family weekend in Ticino. Ticino is always worth a trip, so the joy was great when we were asked whether we'd like to be part of the blogger trip in collaboration with Ticino Tourismus* again. Several blogger families traveled to Ticino for the weekend and went on different excursions and had all sorts of adventures. Joining us were: Die Angelones, Foodwerk.ch, Swiss Family Fun & Mamarocks.ch, and I'll link their posts for you below.
The trip started as always by train – and the special thing this year: with the completion of the Ceneri Base Tunnel, getting to Ticino is even faster. The base tunnel has been in routine operation since December 2020 and cut the regional train ride between Locarno and Lugano from 50 to 22 minutes. This time we were in Lugano, and from Zurich main station to Lugano now takes less than 2 HOURS – perfect, right? No changing trains is needed either, so the holiday can begin in a wonderfully relaxed way.
Hotel Bigatt
We reach our Hotel Bigatt – in Lugano Paradiso, with a gorgeous view – after a single change to another train and a short bus ride. The Hotel Bigatt sits at the center of a magnificent green zone at the foot of Monte San Salvatore. Across 3,000 square meters lie the fruit and organic gardens, tended according to the principles of organic farming, whose produce (fruit, vegetables, legumes, spices, herbs, and flowers) forms the basis of the Locanda Bigatt's cuisine. Besides an olive grove there's a vineyard, and from its grapes the Moncucchetto estate produces the famous Morchì, which can be tasted at the Locanda dal Bigatt alongside other local wines. In the midst of the meadows lies a wonderful swimming pool.
There's even a little chapel, and the wonderful garden above all is so beautiful and idyllic. We really like our room – it's spacious, cozy, and with the 2 extra beds for the children, perfect for the four of us.
On Friday we then get to enjoy dinner right at the Hotel Bigatt too. The kitchen of the Locanda dal Bigatt uses mainly seasonal produce from the organic vegetable and fruit gardens. The other ingredients come mostly from the region, from producers who respect the environment and work in a socially responsible way. So a really wonderful guiding principle, and the restaurant's rooms are truly impressive too, with the old fresco paintings. Vegan is no problem either, and in general the kitchen was very flexible and we ate super deliciously there both evenings.
Bellinzona
On Saturday we set off for Bellinzona. We walked the short way from the hotel to the Lugano-Paradiso station and from there went to Bellinzona without changing. Thanks to the new Ceneri Base Tunnel, the connections within Ticino have become sooo much faster too, and in barely 20 minutes we were in Bellinzona. With the Ticino Ticket, which you get when you stay overnight at the hotel, all public transport is also free, and you benefit from lots of discounts. Guests staying overnight at one of the more than 500 partner accommodations across the canton travel free on public transport for their whole stay and get discounts at many attractions.
In Bellinzona we explored the Castelgrande. The three castles of Bellinzona, Castelgrande, Montebello, and Sasso Corbaro, together with the town walls have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. Castelgrande is the oldest of the three, its hill fortified since the late 1st century BC. The first human settlement of the San Michele hill dates back to 5500/5000 BC (Neolithic). In the 4th century AD the first archaeologically confirmed fortress was built. Various documents from the 6th century also confirm the existence of a fortification. In the 14th century the Latin name for Castelgrande, Castel Magnum, first appeared. This is also today's name, even though during the Confederate occupation the castle was called Castello di Uri (1630) or Castello di Altdorf, and in 1818 San Michele.
Culture and entertainment are perfectly combined in this castello. In the outdoor area you can climb the various walls and towers and feel just like a castle maiden. Inside there's a museum and an informative film, about 15 minutes long, shown in various languages.
So there's surely something for everyone, and even in bad weather (which we sadly had) it's fun to visit the Castelgrande, and as you can see in the pictures, the mood is really beautifully mystical – especially with the fog. And the two other castles in Bellinzona are worth a visit too.
Locarno
From there we went on to Locarno, where we first enjoyed a delicious lunch by the lake at the Restaurant Oldrati. With gazosa, Aperol Spritz, pizza, and pasta, of course – that's simply a must when you're in Ticino.
Right next to the restaurant departs the little tourist train Trenino, with which you can take a city tour through Locarno. During the ride you get all sorts of info about Locarno, and to rest for a moment this tour is very practical and comfortable. Perfect for smaller children too, who don't yet like to walk so much.
Since the weather was sadly very rainy, we didn't stay longer in Locarno but headed quickly back to Lugano, rested at the hotel, and in the evening enjoyed another lovely dinner there.
Lugano
On Sunday we luckily woke up to nicer weather, so we could really enjoy the breathtaking view too. For that alone, an overnight stay at the Hotel Bigatt is absolutely recommendable.
After breakfast we set off for the Lugano train station. We quickly stored our luggage and then started the next adventure right away, namely the FOXTRAIL. It wasn't our first Foxtrail – we've done the interactive scavenger hunt in Berlin, Basel, and Lucerne before. And it's always so much fun – for children AND adults.
Foxtrail
The Foxtrail Galileo Galilei in Lugano is the search for a mysterious chest. From the train station the trail leads you upward, into an idyllic park with little towers, and along the way you not only have to solve exciting riddles but can also simply enjoy incredibly beautiful views. That's the great thing about the Foxtrails too – you can use them to wonderfully motivate the kids for a city tour, and it never gets boring. Everyone was very involved and of course absolutely wanted to solve the riddle.
We managed it too, but of course I don't want to give away too much, so I don't spoil it for anyone. But definitely do the Foxtrail, it's really worth it!
After a lovely walk through the Parco Ciani along the lakeshore, we reached our beautiful restaurant at the harbor. At the Antica Osteria del Porto we enjoyed a delicious lunch – of course with gazosa and Aperol Spritz again, naturally :-)).
And then, sadly, it really was already time to say goodbye to the family weekend in Ticino. The time always just goes by far too quickly. We rode back by train from Lugano, and since this time we even only went as far as Zug, it was even faster – 1.5 hours is incredibly fast. Not even 2 hours and we were back home.
A big thank-you to Ticino Tourismus for the great organization of the trip and to all the partners, hotel, and restaurant for the hospitality and the lovely time with many #ticinomoments.
Family Weekend in Ticino
I'll also link the other families' reports here for you, so you can read what they got up to – you're sure to find more great tips and ideas there:
Die Angelones, Foodwerk.ch, Swiss Family Fun & Mamarocks.ch
And you can find our report from our last visit to Locarno here.
Love, Verena
If you're on Pinterest, you can find me here and are welcome to pin one of these pictures:
**The trip was a paid press trip in cooperation with Ticino Tourismus, but reflects our own opinion. *
