Lugano was one of our first destinations when we started the blog and we had such a wonderful time, we jumped at the chance when we were invited to visit again.
We anticipated the traffic would be busy heading down to the Italian part of Switzerland on a long weekend so we decided to break the journey with a night around Lucern which meant we were only a couple of hours drive away on Friday morning.
It's lovely driving to Ticino where the palm trees and colourful flowers reminded us of the Mediterranean so we’re immediately feeling the holiday spirit.
We were staying at the Villa Sassa Hotel, Residence & Spa which is perched on the hillside not far from the city centre making it an ideal place to discover the region.
We started by exploring the hotel which is set in beautiful grounds with incredible views over the lake below. There are plenty of facilities including a restaurant, bar, spa, wellness area, gym and indoor and outdoor swimming pools. It has a large number of bedrooms and conference facilities so it would be an amazing place to host an event.
We had time for a drink on their sunny terrace before heading off to lunch.
We asked the hotel to organise a taxi to take us to Fattoria Moncucchetto which is a winery just a short drive away. It is set in a beautiful area with amazing views. We were given a lovely table by the windows and were soon installed and ready for lunch. The food was really delicious. Jude and Alba both opted for pasta which was so good, Jean had to stop himself from eating it all. The food is all fresh and seasonal with fruit and vegetables grown on the estate. We asked for a wine pairing with our meal which meant we could discover a selection of wines from the domain and we were really impressed with the choices. Moncucchetto produces 35,000 bottles of wine annually and is nominated by Gault&Millau as one of the 150 best Swiss wineries. The service was excellent, (Alba and Jude also came away with a magic trick :-)), the staff were really knowledgable and everyone was really friendly. It was a wonderful way to kick off our weekend.
Back at the hotel and we were able to check into our room. In fact we were given a huge suite with two separate bedrooms, a large bathroom, toilet, kitchen, living and dining rooms and a very large terrace overlooking the garden below and the lake beyond. It was stunning!
The next item on our agenda was a trip to the Dot spa. Jean took the children to the indoor swimming pool while I went for a massage. I find it really hard to relax and calm my mind but the massage was so amazing, I actually almost fell asleep. I felt so refreshed and rested at the end, it was just what I needed. Next it was Jean’s turn for a massage so I took Jude and Alba back to the room to get tidied up for dinner.
The hotel embrace a holistic approach to well being with wonderful spa treatments at the Dot Spa, healthy menu options, fitness classes, and there is even a lovely shop (Dot-licious) selling keto, vegan and gluten free treats.
We had a lovely aperitivo on the terrace in the evening sunshine before heading into dinner at the Ristorante ai giardini di Villa Sassa. The restaurant is beautiful with views of the lake and gardens and a lovely terrace for the warmer months. The food is healthy Mediterranean cuisine and we found ourselves spoilt for choice so we opted for the tasting menu with wine pairing and it was all delicious. Jude and Alba loved their food and were given some puzzles to complete which stopped them from getting bored at the table. The staff were really wonderful, very attentive, friendly and great with the children so we enjoyed a really lovely evening.
We had a good nights sleep and were up early for breakfast before setting off for our first activity We were lucky enough to be able to eat breakfast on the terrace and there is a large section of food for all dietary requirements. It was a lovely way to start the day!
Our plan for the day was to visit Morcote by boat so we decided to walk down to the port which took about 25 minutes. It was a lovely sunny day and the first boat of the day, which left at 9am, was really quiet so there was plenty of space to sit down both inside and outside. The boat trip took about 1 hour and 25 minutes and it is STUNNING with views all around of the mountains with little villages nestled into the greenery of the hills. I immediately fell in love with Morcote which is a really beautiful little town and full of charm. We walked under the arcades and looked at the little shops on our way to the Parco Scherrer which is a stunning botanical garden on the shores of the lake. As well as beautiful flowers and plant life, there are some impressive monuments including a Greek temple and a Siamese teahouse. We all really enjoyed exploring this beautiful place and the views it afforded us as we climbed. The park is free to access and is definitely a must-see destination when you are visiting Morcote.
We took a stroll back along the lake to our restaurant for lunch which was called Ristorante La Torre which has a terrace right on the lake where we could enjoy the warm weather. We opted for a tasting plate of tartares followed by tuna tataki and it was all really delicious. Jude and Alba tried the pasta and Jude amazed us by clearing his plate and demolishing a chocolate cake for dessert. I took the tiramisu which was excellent. We were really well looked after and everyone was really friendly.
We felt sad to leave but all too soon it was time to head back to Lugano on the boat. The return was about 45 minutes so we were soon back at the port. We were happy to have some time to stroll around Lugano which is a really vibrant city and full of life. We wandered through the shopping areas with its market stalls and pretty boutiques, bars and restaurants, then we went to Parco Ciani which is very central and has a huge playground. We stopped to get some granita for Jude and Alba before heading back up to the hotel.
After a bit of a rest in the hotel, we got ready for dinner. We took a taxi a little further uphill to the Locanda della Masseria. This was a really cool place, a bit like an oasis in the city with fairy lights around the terrace and cool decor inside. The menu is composed of small dishes of local delicacies to start which are ideal for sharing, so we ordered some local meats, burrata and meatballs for Jude followed by a delicious spatchcocked chicken, pasta and tagliata, all of which were delicious. I couldn’t manage dessert but Jean took a Creme Catalane. The restaurant doesn’t have a wine list but has a huge selection for you to browse and the staff are really knowledgeable and happy to offer advice if you need it. It had a lovely bustling spirit on a Saturday night and it was wonderful to see diners of all ages coming together to enjoy a meal.
Since it was still quire early, we decided to get a taxi back into the town centre and have a stroll around. We don’t often get to go out in the evening these days so it was nice to soak up the sights and sounds of city nightlife. Needless to say, we were all pretty tired after such a fun-packed day and were happy to get into our beds.
The last day of our visit came round far too fast and we enjoyed another nice breakfast outside before packing up and saying a sad goodbye to the hotel. Our plan for Sunday morning was to visit San Salvatore which is a short ride on the funicular from Paradiso. It’s an impressive ride and we were soon high above the city where the views are breathtaking. There are a number of viewpoints so we walked around to ensure we saw the sights from every angle. There is a lovely restaurant at the summit called Ristorante Vetta and we had originally planned to have lunch here, but we had seen traffic reports indicating delays on the roads after the long weekend and we had to collect Elio in Lausanne before 4pm so we decided to start the journey home a little earlier than planned (we were glad we did because there were lots of long queues everywhere).
We came home full of beautiful memories of all the wonderful things we were fortunate enough to have experienced in this stunning part of the country. The scenery, the weather, the food, and most importantly the people we met, all made this an unforgettable weekend. I am already petitioning Jean for us to move to Lugano :-).
Information
Lugano Region
Tel +41 58 220 65 00
Villa Sassa Hotel, Residence & Spa
Via Tesserete 10, 6900 Lugano
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