5 Reasons to visit Ticino

Ticino is an Italian-speaking region in the south  of Switzerland, so it’s no wonder that I love it and have been an ambassador for it in many occasion, like when I attended the S.Pellegrino Sapori Ticino Gourmet Festival.

Last weekend I have run its famous half-marathon, the Stralugano.

As usual, I spent a wonderful weekend and enjoyed every minute of it. If you have never visited the area, here are five reasons to do it:

1. Ticino boasts five of the ten sunniest places in Switzerland Cardada-Cimetta, the mountain overlooking Locarno, is in first place with 2.256 hours of sun each year.

2. It’s spectacularly beautiful.                                                                                                                                         Palm-lined lakes and sharp Alpine peaks are some of the reasons why Ticino is so beautiful. The Verzasca Valley has been nicknamed “The Maldives of Switzerland”.                                                                                                                                         3. It is the capital of Castles. Bellinzona, the cantonal capital, isn’t big but enjoys an old town full of beautiful villas and sunny piazza. Towering over the city, are three magnificent Castles from the 13th century.                                           4. It’s more Italian than Swiss. …and in a good way: its architecture, cuisine and culture are closely related to that of neighbouring Italy. Without the chaos!                                                                                                                                           5. The food is amazing. So many prominent names have passed through Ticino in recent years, from international 3 Michelin stars like Massimo Bottura, Joan Roca, Niko Romito, Mauro Colagreco, Pascal Barbot and many many more (sometimes I think all of them!), to the normal pizzeria or traditional grotto. Just outstanding.