Ascona in 7 days

A small lakeside town on Lake Maggiore with a pastel waterfront, cobbled lanes and palm trees. Take a boat to a botanical garden on an island, walk up to a hilltop where utopians once lived, and catch a bus into wild green valleys. Best time to visit: April to June and September to October. Daily budget (budget traveller): CHF 120 to CHF 450.

Arrive and find your feet on the lakefront

Morning: Take the train to Locarno, then bus line 1 to Ascona. Check in and make sure your accommodation has issued your Ticino Ticket.

Afternoon: Wander the Borgo lanes, look into the church of Santi Pietro e Paolo and peek at the Collegio Papio courtyard if it is open.

Evening: Walk the Lungolago at sunset with a gelato, then have dinner at a grotto in the old town, such as Grotto Baldoria.

Monte Verità and the town art museum

Morning: Visit the Museo Comunale d'Arte Moderna on Via Borgo (CHF 10, Tuesday to Saturday from 10am). Then picnic by the lake.

Afternoon: Walk up to Monte Verità, about 20 minutes uphill. Casa Anatta opens at 2pm from Wednesday to Saturday (CHF 12). Add the Elisarion for a CHF 15 combined ticket, then wander the grounds and the tea garden.

Evening: Walk back down through the woods. Aperitivo on Piazza Giuseppe Motta, then an early night.

Boat to the Brissago Islands

Morning: Catch a morning boat from the Ascona landing to Isola Grande. Pay the CHF 10 entry and walk the loop through the botanical garden, which takes about 90 minutes.

Afternoon: Lunch at the Villa Emden restaurant or bring a picnic. Take a boat back, then swim at Lido Ascona or a free beach near Moscia.

Evening: Dinner on the lakefront. If it is late June or early July, follow the music to the JazzAscona stages.

Locarno and Madonna del Sasso

Morning: Take bus 1 to Locarno. Walk across Piazza Grande and through the old town, then climb the old pilgrims' path to the Madonna del Sasso sanctuary, or take the funicular.

Afternoon: If the weather is clear, continue by cable car to Cardada for views over the lake and the Maggia delta. Check operating times and fares before you go.

Evening: Head back to Ascona for dinner, or eat in Locarno and take a late bus 1.

Verzasca valley and Ponte dei Salti

Morning: Take bus 1 to Locarno station and change to bus 321 for Lavertezzo, about 45 minutes. Go early to beat the crowds and the heat.

Afternoon: Photograph the Ponte dei Salti, walk part of the riverside Sentierone path and picnic on the rocks. Stay out of the water unless it is clearly calm. The current and the cold are serious.

Evening: Back to Ascona. Self-cater or have a pizza to give your budget a rest.

Centovalli train and Intragna

Morning: Ride the Centovalli railway from Locarno to Intragna, about 30 minutes. It is covered by the Ticino Ticket as far as the Italian border. Sit on the left for gorge views.

Afternoon: Explore Intragna's stone lanes and church tower, then take a short walk or ride further west towards Camedo and the border before heading back.

Evening: Farewell dinner of risotto and a glass of Merlot del Ticino at a lakefront trattoria in Ascona.

Slow morning and departure

Morning: Walk the lake road towards Moscia for an early swim or coffee with a view of the islands. On Thursday to Sunday, Museo Castello San Materno is another option.

Afternoon: Collect your bags and take bus 1 to Locarno station. If you have time, stop in Bellinzona to see the castles.

Evening: Continue north through the Gotthard Base Tunnel, or south to Milan for flights.

What to eat in Ascona

Risotto: Ticino's comfort dish, often made with saffron or local mushrooms and served at grottos and lakefront trattorias
Polenta with braised meat or cheese: slow-cooked cornmeal, a staple of the valleys, especially good in autumn
Luganighetta: a thin, spiced Ticino pork sausage, often grilled and served with polenta or risotto
Merlot del Ticino: the canton's signature red wine, sold by the glass in grottos and wine bars for a few francs more than a coffee
Vermicelles and chestnut dishes: sweet chestnut purée desserts and roasted chestnuts appear from autumn, when the valleys celebrate the harvest
A meal at a grotto, a rustic stone tavern with granite tables. Grotto Baldoria in the old town is a well-known option for simple set dishes

Hidden gems

Collegio Papio, a Renaissance courtyard with arcades next to the church of Santa Maria della Misericordia and its late Gothic frescoes. It is a working school, so look in respectfully when it is open
Museo Castello San Materno, a small restored castle and villa just west of the old town. It opens Thursday to Sunday, with a combined ticket for it and the town art museum
The Padiglione Elisarion at Monte Verità, a round building housing a huge circular painting. Entry is CHF 5, or CHF 15 combined with Casa Anatta
The Casa del Tè on Monte Verità, a tea house set in a small tea garden, a calm place for a cup after the museum
The quiet lake road towards Ronco sopra Ascona early in the morning, before the traffic picks up, with views back over the Brissago Islands

Getting around

Ascona is compact and you can walk everywhere in the centre. FART bus line 1 links Ascona with Locarno station every 15 to 20 minutes and takes roughly 10 to 15 minutes. A single costs roughly CHF 2.50-4.50 depending on zones. Bus line 316 follows the lake road from Locarno through Ascona towards Brissago, passing Moscia. If you stay overnight in a hotel, hostel or campsite in Ticino, ask for the Ticino Ticket. It gives free travel on regional trains and buses across the canton and discounts on boats, the Brissago Islands and several museums. Lake boats stop at the Ascona landing for Locarno, the Brissago Islands and Brissago. Timetables are much thinner outside the main season, and boat fares are not included in the Ticino Ticket on most routes. Regional trains from Locarno station reach Bellinzona in about 25 minutes and Lugano in under an hour. Taxis are expensive, so use buses after dark. Cycling on the flat Maggia delta paths is pleasant, and bike hire is available in Locarno.

Safety

Ascona is very safe, and crime against visitors is rare. Watch your bag in crowds during JazzAscona and the Locarno Film Festival. The real risks are outdoors. Mountain rivers such as the Verzasca and Maggia look calm, but they are icy and fast, and water levels can rise suddenly after rain or releases from dams upstream. People drown there most summers, so swim only where locals do and when it is clearly calm. Keep away from boat lanes when swimming in the lake. Summer afternoons can bring sudden, violent thunderstorms, so start hikes early and check MeteoSwiss. Wear proper shoes on steep valley paths, and check for ticks after walking in long grass. Emergency numbers are 112 (general), 144 (ambulance) and 117 (police). Healthcare is excellent but expensive, so get travel insurance, and EU travellers should bring an EHIC.

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