Locarno at the northern tip of Lake Maggiore is Switzerland's sunniest city – with over 2'300 hours of sunshine per year and a Mediterranean townscape of palm trees, arcades and piazzas. The old town around the Piazza Grande and the Castello Visconteo blends Swiss order with southern flair in a uniquely appealing way.

The Locarno Film Festival – the oldest outdoor film festival in Europe – transforms the Piazza Grande every August into one of the world's largest open-air cinema screens. The Madonna del Sasso perches on a rock above the city, reachable by funicular or steep staircase. The lake invites boat trips, the Maggia delta cycling tours and the Centovalli one of Switzerland's most scenic railway journeys.

Locarno is reachable by SBB from Zurich in around 2.5 hours or from Bellinzona in around 25 minutes. By car, take the A2 motorway from the Gotthard. Parking is available in the town centre and by the lakeside.