Locarno can be explored with different focuses: city history and art, film culture, or excursions to viewpoints and trails. Piazza Grande is a good starting point for getting your bearings. From there, steep, narrow lanes lead into the old town; Cardada adds views of Lake Maggiore, the Magadino Plain and the Valais Alps to a city walk. When planning, consider whether you would like to set aside more time for museums, the landscape or swimming facilities.
Piazza Grande, the old town and city history
Piazza Grande is a paved square. Its Lombard arcades stretch for 700 metres to the level of Locarno railway station. From the piazza, you can reach the old town via steep, narrow lanes. This connection creates a clear contrast on a city walk between the long stretch of arcades and the narrower paths leading up into the old town. If you plan to visit both areas, take the condition of the lanes into account when choosing your route.
The Museo Archeologico di Locarno focuses on finds from the Locarnese, dating from the Bronze Age in the 13th century BC to the Roman period from the 1st to the 4th century AD. The museum is particularly well known for its internationally renowned collection of Roman glass. The tower of Castello Visconteo offers views over Locarno and adds another architectural highlight to the cultural itinerary.
The Museo Casa Rusca offers another blend of architectural history and art. It is housed in a typical 18th-century mansion, with a three-storey portico surrounding the courtyard. The museum hosts temporary exhibitions by Swiss and international artists. Casa Rusca also houses municipal collections and major international exhibitions. By contrast, the Museo Casorella is home to Locarno’s municipal art collections on a permanent basis. Those including several art venues can thus explore temporary exhibitions and a permanent collection as distinct highlights.
Film, culture and seasonal highlights
Since 1946, Locarno’s Festival del film has been a meeting place for international filmmakers. PalaCinema complements this cultural focus with its own audiovisual installations and events. It has three cinema screens with a total of 714 seats, a public foyer and a bistro. At the Madonna del Sasso site, you can also visit the Museum of Madonna del Sasso. These venues offer different ways to experience Locarno’s cultural life: film, audiovisual installations, collections and a museum at a separate site.
Piazza Grande also takes on a different character depending on when you visit: from December until Epiphany, it hosts Winterland’s large ice rink. If your visit depends on whether the activity is available on particular days, check the specific event dates before travelling.
Gardens, mountain views and swimming
Parco delle Camelie is home to more than 850 different varieties of camellia. The flowering season lasts for nine months. This makes the garden a longer seasonal highlight than Winterland’s ice rink, which is limited to December and Epiphany. Cardada, in turn, offers a different perspective on the surrounding area: Locarno’s local mountain provides views of Lake Maggiore, the Magadino Plain and the Valais Alps.
Cardada has panoramic viewing platforms, hiking trails and mountain biking routes. The cable car from Orselina, designed by Mario Botta, reaches the mountain station in just a few minutes. This means you can plan for the views and trails as a separate part of your trip, apart from the museums and city walk. Which of these options you prioritise depends on whether you would rather spend your time on culture or activities in the landscape.
Lido Locarno is another option if you would like to include swimming in your stay. Its facilities include indoor and outdoor pools, an Olympic-size swimming pool, a thermal bath, pools for young children and four water slides. Comparing it with Cardada makes the different focuses clear: there, views, hiking trails and mountain biking routes take centre stage; at the Lido, the facilities include pools and water slides. Together with the museums, Piazza Grande and the old town, these offer several specific themes around which to plan your time in Locarno.
Discover more destinations: Frasco, Mergoscia, Intragna, Orselina, Contone, Piazzogna, Losone, Sant'abbondio Ti.
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