If you want to combine nature, outdoor activities and culture in Paradiso, you can plan your stay around a clear focus: trails on Monte San Salvatore, activities by the lake, sports facilities or historic sites. The landscape is particularly tangible on the Vita fitness trail on Via Guidino.
Outdoor Activities and Views on Monte San Salvatore
The Vita fitness trail is 1.6 kilometres long, with an elevation difference of 80 metres. It starts in Parco di Via Guidino, in a wooded setting at the foot of Monte San Salvatore, and offers views of Lake Ceresio. At 15 stations, permanently installed equipment and explanatory signs provide guidance for physical exercises; the exercises are suitable for all age groups.
Parco di Guidino also covers more than 13,000 square metres at the foot of Monte San Salvatore. From there, you can see Lake Ceresio, the golf course and the surrounding valleys. The park is accessible on foot or by private vehicle. As route conditions may change, check them before setting out.
The municipal outdoor fitness park on the Riva Paradiso lakeside promenade offers another way to exercise: it covers around 250 square metres and is free to use. The Vita fitness trail, with its set length and stations, and the fitness park on the promenade therefore differ in their layout.
The Lake and Sports Facilities
Lido Piscina Conca d’Oro is right by the lake and has a small beach. The diving boards are 1.5 and 3 metres above the lake. If you want to include water activities in your stay, this offers something different from the wooded trails at the foot of the mountain.
The Ex Rickenbach recreation park has a multi-purpose artificial-turf pitch for football and volleyball. The park also includes a playground, footpaths, benches, a fountain and a table tennis table. A sports facility on Via alla Sguancia offers opportunities for skating, basketball and table tennis. Paradiso Tennis Court in Sguancia has two tennis courts with fully renewed surfaces and renovated changing rooms. The facility includes a refreshment kiosk and a changing room with a shower.
At the Summit: Nature, a Museum and Views
The summit area of Monte San Salvatore includes a nature park with botanical trails, a museum and a permanent exhibition on minerals and fossils. The San Salvatore Museum displays religious objects, minerals and exhibits about lightning. From Monte San Salvatore, the 360-degree view extends south over the lake and west towards the high Alpine peaks.
The funicular railway to Monte San Salvatore departs from Lugano-Paradiso. The San Salvatore–Paradiso hike leads through the forest to Pazzallo, where the funicular’s intermediate station is located, and then descends to Paradiso via Paradiso railway station. If you plan to take the funicular, check the current timetable. At the summit, there is a restaurant with a large panoramic terrace, a self-service terrace and picnic facilities. Mediterranean cuisine is also available on Monte San Salvatore.
Cultural History in Paradiso
The Oratorio della Geretta in Paradiso is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and was built in 1709. The choir contains an 18th-century fresco depicting the Holy Trinity. It is a work by the brothers Giuseppe Antonio Maria and Giovanni Antonio Torricelli. The two surviving supporting columns of the former portico are also part of the Oratorio’s history: they date from the 15th or 16th century and are among the historic monuments of the Canton of Ticino. Casa del Castello in Paradiso is classified as a cultural property.
Choose according to the focus of your trip, without having to follow a fixed itinerary through the different options.
Discover more destinations: Alto Malcantone, Sigirino, Aranno, Barbengo, Cureglia, Lugaggia, Miglieglia, Melano
For the main travel overview: Lugano.
