Scenery Paradiso: Southern Switzerland's Canton Of Ticino

Most people think they know Switzerland even if they have never been there―rich, perfect, wallet-draining Switzerland, where expensive watches jump out of jewellery-store display windows and onto passing wrists faster than you can say, “Do you have this in platinum?” or where you have more fun eating hot cheese from a pot than anywhere else in the world. They think they know the Swiss people as well―Germanic bankers discussing germane topics in Zürich or legions of diplomats going about their business ensconced in the microcosmic comfort of Geneva.

(above: Chef Domenico.)

There is another Switzerland, however, one where smiles are as bright as the sunshine. Ticino is one of the few places on Earth with the lucky combination of beautiful natural scenery, handsome man-made sights, and abundant cultural offerings. Lugano presents its picturesque bounty on a pollution-free, traffic-free platter. Though Lugano is biggest city in Ticino, it is not the cantonal capital; that honour belongs to Bellinzona--whose name, by the way, is not based on the obvious bello (beautiful), but rather on its bellicose history as a battlefield at the crossroads of Europe. How far away that past seems today as Bellinzona reigns over its dominion of utter serenity and quiet prosperity. Ticino (Tessin in both French and German) is a fortuitous amalgam of that which makes Life more pleasant; if only there were more places like it in the world―but then it would be less special.

(above: Hotel Splendide Royal Room 104.)

First of all, there is the lake, Lake Lugano, (below) which competes for attention with Ticino’s sunny skies and its magnificent mountains, known as the Pre-Alps, mountains given a prefix for not being deemed high enough by exacting Swiss standards to be full-fledged Alps.

The attractive combination of earth, water, and air conveys a sense of wellbeing beyond the usual tourist destination. Ticino’s climate begets a special vegetation zone in which lots of pretty things grow; thanks to the mountainous divide separating Ticino from the rest of Switzerland, the climate is balmy, especially in winter.

(above: Hotel Splendide Royal at dusk.)

When Europe north of the Alps is battling February sleet, Ticino revels in blue skies and comparatively mild temperatures. While the occasional cold snap does make infrequent visits, it never stays long.

(above: Lake Lugano, one of Switzerland's most beautiful lakes.) One of Switzerland’s most appealing, albeit barely recognised, aspects is its vast and apparently insatiable appetite for cultural awareness. World-class museums are found in the major cities, of course, but they also spring up in the smallest of hamlets. In Lugano’s Montagnola district is the Hermann Hesse Museum, a tribute to the enigmatic, Nobel Prize-winning German who called Switzerland home until his death in 1962. This museum has become a place of pilgrimage for Hesse admirers and offers a full program of lectures and activities in addition to its insightful displays. Ramparts still found in Bellinzona remind us of forts built and battles fought on the windswept valley floor. The Swiss actually built a wall across the entire valley, effectively controlling the flow of goods and people between Northern and Southern Europe. Though Ticino seems to be worlds away from the hubbub of big-city life; it is not. Both Milan and its international airport are less than an hour away by car from Lugano.

Switzerland has a sterling reputation for leading the world in the hospitality industry; it is well deserved. The most famous hotel in Lugano is Hotel Splendide Royal, right on the lakefront at Riva Caccia. The rooms are big; a few rooms, like Room 205, offer wonderful private terraces to enjoy the lake views.

Palm trees and snowcapped mountains are rarely seen in the same landscape, but this combination is the norm in Lugano. Between the two is the serene Lake Lugano (Lago di Ceresio in Italian) into which the steep mountains drop sharply, creating a spectacular panorama of natural beauty. Hotel Splendide Royal's lakefront location provides guests with front-row seats for the show of sunshine and colours as they change throughout the day.

(above: Palm trees in Switzerland along the shore of Lake Lugano.)

First opened in 1887, Hotel Splendide Royal is Lugano's most famous five-star hotel. It is easy to imagine the Crawleys of Downton Abbey spending time here, perhaps on their way to Italy; indeed, Switzerland's prominence as a travel destination today can be traced back to the times of the Grand Tour when British aristocrats travelled to the Mediterranean region to enjoy the weather and the scenery. Switzerland at that time was merely a transit stop; thankfully, times have changed and Switzerland's own appeal is well appreciated by travellers who come here from all over the world. Not so many of them, though, venture to Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Those who do make the 2h40m train trip from Zurich will find the joie de vivre of Italian hospitality alive and well at Hotel Splendide Royal; under the astute leadership of General Manager Giuseppe Rossi, the hotel's sharp staff execute their duties with a mixture of pleasant Mediterranean friendliness and unerring Swiss efficiency. This is especially true in La Veranda, the domain of dynamic young Executive Chef Domenico Ruberto who brings an inspired menu to the tables of Hotel Splendide Royal.

Award-winning Head Sommelier Simone Ragusa (above) and the equally lauded Chef Domenico see to it that the hotel's guests are wined and dined in fine style. The private wine room is a beautiful location for a private dinner to celebrate a family occasion or share a special experience with work colleagues.

A word about Swiss cuisine. Though images of fondue and raclette push their way to the forefront of culinary imaginings, there is an abundance of other delicacies to tempt the palate, especially in Ticino where the warmer climate and Italian influence add dimensions to food preparation not found in the German- or French-speaking regions. Perhaps surprising is the number of vineyards one sees dotting the mountainsides; Swiss wines hold their own against those of better-known regions and seem particularly appropriate with Swiss dishes.

(above: Hotel Splendide Royal wine room.)

The hotel's original building houses the traditional accommodation, of course retrofitted over the years to suit the needs of contemporary travellers. The rooms and suites in the original building vary in size and configuration; rooms in the executive wing have the more familiar floorplans found in hotels today. The two wings are cleverly and seamlessly connected by a shared lobby. Whether staying in the executive wing or the original building, the interiors will be both charming and functional and service will be flawless. Hotel Splendide Royal's location is also exceptional; the treelined lakefront promenade is just across the street, the Lugano Paradiso pier is less than five minutes away on foot, and the museum and performing arts theatre of the new LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura cultural centre is only two blocks away. From Lugano Paradiso it is possible to take boat excursions to see the small villages dotting the shores of Lake Lugano, some of which have not changed for centuries. Those guests who prefer to drive can hire the hotel's splendid Maserati Quattroporte for private use.

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