Locarno is a beautiful city to travel in Switzerland. Locarno is situated at the foot of the alps. Locarno is an ideal escape from the rush of mega cities. Tourists can travel the city to enjoy some peaceful calm vacation. Tourists do add Locanrno in their tour plans for Switzerland.
An important film festival, the Locarno International Film Festival, takes place every year in August in the Piazza Grande. Locarno has a number of interesting sights that draw tourists to travel the city around the year
PLACE TO TRAVEL
Astrovia Locarno - The Astrovia Locarno is a 1 : 1,000,000,000 scale model of the Solar System. The Sun can be found at the end of Via Gioacchino Respini where the cycle path, which runs alongside the river, starts. Pluto, the final planet in the model, can be found 6 km away from this starting point in the village of Tegna.
Madonna del Sasso, Cardada and Cimetta - The sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso in Orselina above the city is the principal travel sight and goal of pilgrimage in the city. The founding of the sanctuary goes back to a vision of the Virgin Mary that the Franciscan brother Bartolomeo d'Ivrea experienced in the night of 14/15 August 1480. The interior is highly decorated, and a platform gives a magnificent view of the city.
Castello Visconteo - on the edge of the old town was built in the 12th century, probably as the residence of a Captain Orelli, who remained true to the Emperor. In 1260, it fell into the hands of the Ghibellines. In 1342 the Visconti of Milan, for whom it is now named, attacked the castle from both the land and the lake side and took it. It first came into the hands of the Eidgenossen in 1503. Today, only a fifth of the original structure remains. Most of that dates from the 15th and 16th centuries. Only the foundation remains from the original structure.
Piazza Grande - It is the heart of the city center and also the major shopping area.
Ride the Funicular - Take the funicular railway up to the old monastery and cable car station, from where you can take the cable car to approx 1,600m above the town, or walk back down into the town via the monastery and a stone pathway, approx 30 minute walk down.
Locarno International Film Festival - in the first two weeks of August on Piazza Grande, biggest open air screen in Europe. Date for 2009: August 5-15.
HOW TO REACH
By flight - Lugano airport. Then take the bus to Lugano and the train to Locarno
By train - Regular trains link Locarno directly with Zurich, Basel, Lucerne, Milan and Bellinzona. The Centovallina train line connects Locarno and the Simplon line (from Geneva or Bern).
By car - From the east, take highway A2 Basel to Chiasso, exit at Bellinzona South, direction Locarno. After the Magadino airport, take the A13 highway,direction Locarno. After the tunnel, the first exit will bring you in the center of Locarno. Parking available in the new Piazza Castello parking.
From the west, take the road coasting the lake Maggiore, from Verbania trough Cannobio and the Brissago customs. Then take the A13 highway, direction Locarno. An alternative, from Simplon and Domodossola, is the Valle Vigezzo and Centovalli road, direction Locarno.
