Every year in August, Locarno and its Piazza Grande turn into the
world's most beautiful film festival, observed by 1000 journalists and 200,000
spectators. But the International Film Festival is only one of Locarno's trump
cards. The plazas and arcades of old town, the pilgrimage church Madonna del Sasso
and above all Switzerland's mildest climate speak for this city on Lake Maggiore.
The Piazza Grande is the heart of Locarno's city centre. In the old town, patrician houses with concealed balconies bear witness to the supremacy of this once-wealthy trading metropolis. The Casa Rusca Gallery is one of Locarno's most beautiful palaces: its huge collection includes works by celebrated Dadaists. Galleries, shops and cafes line the lanes of this city which bosts the mildest climate in Switzerland. Locarno's landmark is the pilgramage church of Madonna del Sasso - a place of pryaer with extraoridanry views over the lake and mountains.
Quick tips/suggestions
Check out the Church of St John the Baptist in Mogno. Mario Botta renovated the church in 1996 updating the stiking inerior with white Peccia marble and black Vallemaggia granite.
If there's a place you've stayed or something you've done, but we haven't listed, review it for us!
LOCARNO