Ticino

The church of San Giovanni Battista in Mogno, a town in Canton Ticino's Maggia Valley, was designed by architect Mario Botta. It was built in 1996 after a rockslide or "stone avalanche" destroyed the town's old church.

General Tourist Information

Ticino Tourism
Basic travel information and a handsome collection of photos make the canton's official site worth a visit.

Ascona

Ascona
The art colony of Ascona was once a fishing village. It's near Locarno on Lake Maggiore. (Also see the Lake Maggiore Tourist Office link under "Locarno" below.)

Bellinzona

Bellinzona
For a thousand years, this fortified town has guarded the Ticino Valley route between Italy and Switzerland's northern cantons. In Italian; translate with AltaVista.

Locarno

Cardada Cable Car (Ticino) switzerlandforvisitors.com
The Cardada funivia will whisk you from Locarno to a mountain ridge where you can enjoy lunch, hiking, and views of Lake Maggiore and the Swiss and Alps.

Lake Maggiore Tourist Office
The lakeside city of Locarno has the sunniest climate in Switzerland. It's also a horticulturalist's delight. (In addition to covering Locarno, this site has information on Ascona and Brissago.)

Locarno International Film Festival
"The most Mediterranean of the Northern festivals and the most Germanic of the Latin ones" has attracted filmmakers and cinemaniacs since 1946.

Weather.com: Locarno
To switch between metric and English units, use the small buttons under the 10-day forecast.

Lugano

Lugano
Start your planning at the city's official tourism site.

Swissminiatur, Lugano-Melide
If your feet aren't up to a hike around Switzerland, this scaled-down version of the Confederation is a handy substitute. The park has more 100 buildings and 3.5 km (2.2 miles) of model-railroad tracks.

Weather.com: Lugano
To switch between metric and English units, use the small buttons under the 10-day forecast.

Windsurfing Lago di Lugano
Where to go and what to expect, from the Swiss Windsurf Spot Guide.

Malcantone

Malcantone
This region consists of 26 villages where you could easily spend a vacation of several weeks, thanks to the planning information at this exceptionally well-organized tourism site. (This site was down the last time I checked, but give it a try.)

Mendrisio

Mendrisio
The historic town of Mendrisio is on the main railway line between Chiasso and Lugano. It's a gateway to the scenic Mendrisiotto and Basso Ceresio regions.

Mogno/Val Maggia