ASCONA

Ticino, Switzerland

By Julia Revitt Photography

September 10^th, 2022

The picturesque Swiss village of Ascona feels distinctly Italian. It sits on Lake Maggiore, has the Mediterranean climate and laid back attitude of the Italians. In fact, it's in the Swiss canton of Ticino. It's so Italian, it's uncanny.

We visited on a very hot day in August, driving for three hours over the Simplon Pass from Crans-Montana. The journey was a laborious mix of roadworks and dangerous roads - with the Swiss driving so slowly and the Italians without a care.

After parking up and walking through the sultry streets, arriving at the lake front was wonderful. A nice breeze greeted us, along with shady shorefront seating and the beautiful views - it was just perfect.

I recommend spending a few hours wandering the backstreets and alleyways. There are plenty of restaurants, chic boutiques and vistas to keep day visitors more than happy.

Hot tip; don't try to park in the carpark next to the lake as it's always super busy. Go for Autosilo Comunale Ascona instead - it's an underground car park, with plenty of space and it's literally a stone's throw away from the lake.