Lugano, Switzerland

I'm pretty sure I have said this about almost every place we have visited, but I am not sure why it has taken us this long to visit Lugano. It is in the southern region of the country, near Italy, and is the last big thing we had on our Swiss bucket list. (We're flying through that thing!)

We also got to cross off taking a Swiss train. We only had two days, and after a long week, and finding a sweet deal, we hopped on at the station in our town. Although, we've been loving having a car to help us get around, it was so nice to sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery.

I mean, with views like that, we didn't even take a nap!

Lugano is not a big city, but it has so much to offer. The lake is definitely the biggest appeal of the city. For me though, I was most excited for everyone speaking Italian. Cam has only been in the region for hockey, and I haven't been at all, so this part was new for us.

Even though I was in awe of the language and culture, the lake really was stunning. Even though it was the beginning of February, all the docks and boats made it feel like we were in a tropical city. The gorgeous weather didn't hurt that feeling either.

We knew this area tends to be warmer, but we were not expecting to sit on a patio for lunch. After arriving, we checked into our hotel and headed to find someplace for lunch. We knew we had to try the pizza, and we're not disappointed.

The lake really is the main highlight, and I can only imagine how nice it would be when it is busier in the summer. I would love to take one of the many boat tours or rent a paddle boat, but it definitely wasn't the season for that.

We spent most of the afternoon walking the streets and exploring around the downtown. Like I said, there is not much going on in the winter, but it is definitely a must-see town in Switzerland, no matter when you're visiting.

Similar to most of the country, there are new aspects of the city, and a lot of older characteristics. There were so many of these stairs, and after a quick break in the middle, we made it to the top to be rewarded with a great view of the city.

We would have loved to do a hike, which I have heard are endless in the region, but we weren't really prepared or informed. Instead, we explored, went for a nice dinner, and just enjoyed being in a new city.

I'm so glad we made it here and can check it off the list. The next morning, we got off the train at a different stop and checked out some castles in Bellinzona before heading home. (you can see pictures of that stop here).

+Kahli