I spent just two full days in Lugano, a city in southern Switzerland’s Italian-speaking Ticino region. Though Swiss, Lugano seems as Italian as it is Swiss, and maybe more.
Lugano rests on the northern most shore of Lake Lugano. A glacial lake, Lugano has green and olive hues, that sparkle like Venetian glass, as dark conical mountains rise from below, framed by icy peaks and pale blue open sky. Why come here? I consulted Professor Silver, one of my traveling companions. Like Rick Blaine in Casablanca, Professor Silver, remarked that he came here for the waters.
Lugano city has lakeside walks, arcades of old patrician homes, historic buildings and monuments, and bustling car-free city squares and streets lined with high end stores and eateries. And the chocolate and pastry shops are worthy of a stop.
Walking The Olive Trail (Sentiero dell’olivo) in Lugano
A bucket list walk on the Olive Trail, started with a ferry to Gandria, still a part of Lugano. Perched on a mountainside, Gandria is an old fishing village, randomly mapped with tiny hidden alleys, generational living, and for my purposes, Olive Trail access. Following twists and turns, majestic panoramas of the lake and surrounding mountains unfold, along with intimate walkthroughs of villages and natural flora. This trial was a mostly easy walk; I wished my walk had lasted longer in this calm, peaceful place. Regrettably though necessarily, I exited the trail at Cassarate, a short distance from the funicular to Mont Bre, my next stop.
Mount Bre
Mount Bre is a smaller mountain east of Lugano with views of Lugano Bay, the Alps and Monte Rosa. Access to Mt. Bre is via the Cassarate Mt. Bre Funicular.
The views from the summit of Bre are spectacular. Endless hiking trails are available for those with unlimited time. I stoped for lunch and soaked up more views. Unfortunately time did not permit further hiking. The funiculars back to Lugano were quick. 
Mont San Salvator
San Salvatore, also known as Switzerland’s Sugar Loaf Mountain, is the symbol of Lugano. The funicular railway of Monte San Salvatore leads to the summit in just 12 minutes. Here the 360° scenery is almost indescribable and extends from Lake Lugano to the Po Valley, ending with the peaks of the Swiss and Savoy Alps. The summit of San Salvatore is quite cold and windy, so it is best to dress in multiple layers.
The funicular trip down was entertaining.
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