Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast Episode 191 Transcript

Discover Ticino – Where Swiss Alpine Charm Meets Italian Flair

You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.

Carolyn Schönafinger: What if I told you there’s a part of Switzerland where palm trees sway, gelato replaces fondue, and the vibe feels more Mediterranean than Alpine? In today’s episode, I’m joined by Catharina Berni, and we’re heading south to Ticino, Switzerland’s sunniest region, where Italian flair meets Swiss precision. From lakeside villages and scenic valleys to historic castles and mountain views, We’ll show you why Ticino deserves a spot on your Swiss itinerary, especially if you’re looking for something a little different. Welcome to the Holidays to Switzerland Podcast. I’m Carolyn Schönafinger, your Switzerland destination expert and the founder of holidaystoswitzerland.com. Each week, together with my expert guests, I introduce you to the Switzerland that I know and love, and share inspiration and practical tips to help you plan your dream Swiss vacation. Before we dive in, a quick thank you to our podcast sponsors, Switzerland Tourism and Eco Rails. If you’re planning a trip to Switzerland, you’ll know just how much there is to consider. With so many incredible places to visit, figuring out your itinerary, booking accommodation, And choosing the right rail pass can quickly start to feel overwhelming. So that’s where Echo Rails comes in. Their small group rail tours are carefully curated so that everything is taken care of for you.

Carolyn Schönafinger: From the moment you arrive at the airport, your accommodation, transport, daily breakfasts and dinners, scenic excursions, and a knowledgeable local English-speaking guide are all included. So you can simply relax and enjoy the journey. If travelling through Switzerland with a small group tour sounds like your ideal way to explore, you’ll find more details via the link in the show notes, along with an exclusive 5% discount code. Now let’s get into this week’s episode.

Carolyn Schönafinger: A very good morning to you, Catharina. Thank you very much for coming onto the podcast today to talk about your beautiful canton of Ticino. Before we start hearing about Ticino, could you please introduce yourself and tell us about your role with the, uh, with the tourism board there?

Catharina Berni: Sure. Thank you so much for having me, Carolyn. I am head of communication, uh, at Ticino Turismo, where we are responsible for sharing the story of our region with international audiences through media relations, storytelling, and content creation. My role is really about showcasing what makes Ticino special and inspiring people to come and experience it for themselves.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Mm-hmm. Okay. And, uh, it is definitely a beautiful region to, uh, to experience. We’ve had a couple of previous episodes, episodes 12 and 75. So if any of our listeners would like to get even more info after our chat today, they can go back and listen to those episodes. But in your opinion, what makes Ticino such a unique and special part of Switzerland?

Catharina Berni: Well, I think Ticino is often described as Switzerland’s most Mediterranean area and has this Mediterranean soul. And I think that captures perfectly what it is. You have this incredible combination of the Swiss quality and efficiency with Italian lifestyle, culture, and cuisine, which is very much loved. Palm trees, lakes, sunshine, and a very relaxed way of life, often called as dolce vita, all set against a backdrop of Alpine landscapes. And, and that makes it so special and unique. I think it, it’s that contrast of mountains and Mediterranean flair. That makes the Ticino what it is.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Mm. Yeah, definitely. It’s certainly got that, uh, that Italian flair. And for those, uh, folks listening that aren’t aware, Italian is the official language of Ticino, isn’t it?

Catharina Berni: Yes, exactly. We speak Italian here, which is pretty strange for a lot of people who are coming, uh, to Switzerland because they expect Switzerland to be mostly German spoken, spoken.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah. Okay. So what are the major towns or cities in Ticino and, and what are they best known for?

Catharina Berni: Well, there is, uh, probably a lot of your listeners know already or have, have heard of Lugano. Lugano is the largest city and it’s known for its elegant lakeside setting, shop skiing, culture, and nearby mountains like, uh, the Monte Bre and Monte San Salvatore. But it’s also known as the financial capital of Ticino. Locarno is more, uh, north. It’s on the shore of Lake Maggiore. It’s famous for its mild climate and beautiful old town, and very known also for the Locarno Film Festival. Which next year is gonna celebrate 80 years. So that is more than traditional canal, I, I would say. Bellinzona is our capital. A lot of people don’t know that Bellinzona is our capital, but it is, and it’s very known for the 3 UNESCO-listed mediaeval castles, which are really impressive, and it gives a glimpse into this region’s history.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Hmm. Okay. And can all those castles be visited?

Catharina Berni: Yes, sure. You can start and it takes you about a good 2 hours to explore them all. If you are good in hiking, it’s not a big hike, but you have to walk here. You have to walk a lot, but you can do it maybe in 2 hours and a half total.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Hmm. Okay. So yeah, it’s obviously not, not on a lake like Lugano and Locarno, but there’s Yeah, highlights of all those major towns.

Catharina Berni: Yes, definitely.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Now I’ve been lucky enough to visit Lugano and Locarno and really just passed through Bellinzona. Sadly, I’ll have to change that. And I know that visiting those towns is really a highlight when you’re into Ticino, but there are also lots of charming villages and valleys in the canton too that you can visit. So, Is there a village or perhaps a valley that you particularly like to visit?

Catharina Berni: Definitely. I mean, it’s, it’s always hard to choose where you want to go because there are so many valleys and maybe coming from abroad, you are not aware of the fact that it takes a little while to get to these valleys, but it’s very good. The, the infrastructure is very good and you can take these buses who bring you to all the places you want to go in the and even in the, in the, um, most far away valley, you can, you can get there by bus. And once you come to Ticino and you, um, are in a hotel pension or on a camping, uh, lot, you get the Ticino ticket and you can get around for free, take in the public transport. So that’s one thing apart, but it’s, it’s really useful, I think. Mm-hmm. And I love especially the Bavona Valley. Uh, it’s one of the wildest and most, uh, authentic valleys in Ticino, I think. Uh, and it, what makes it special is, uh, how untouched it feels.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay.

Catharina Berni: I went there in August last year, so high, high season, and we probably met 7 people, uh, on our way, which is nothing for, uh, summer. But it’s very interesting because you have those old stone houses which blend completely into this landscape and it’s feels very, very, very much nature and you find waterfalls, crystal clear rivers, and these traditional villages. It feels like stepping back in time, you know, and, and it’s also a place where a lot of times there’s no electricity, not even, and they, the people who live there, they’re also called transhumans, which is like a are moving between summer and winter. They’re not living there in wintertime, but they, they move to the little towns nearby in the winter, but then go back in summer to live there.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah. Okay. So very authentic and, uh, I guess there’s a really, really long history of, of those people moving from the village and, and back into the valleys.

Catharina Berni: Definitely.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yes. Ah, okay. Now I’m, Pretty sure that when you go to valleys like that, you can have the chance to enjoy some of the local cuisine. They’re probably very happy to share or, you know, to, to offer their types of cuisine to any visitors. So what’s a typical style of meal from Ticino?

Catharina Berni: Truly, Ticino experience is dining in a grotto, and a grotto, those are The traditional rustic restaurants often set in a very shaded place, uh, forest areas. And, uh, the food is simple but hearty and local. It’s very local. Things like polenta, braised meats, risotto, local cheeses, and cured meats. So meals are usually shared, very relaxed, and often enjoyed outdoors under a chestnut tree. The chestnut tree is very famous for Ticino. The tradition, uh, once was that every family or whoever built a house would first thing would plant a chestnut tree.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Mm-hmm.

Catharina Berni: So it is very typical for Ticino to find chestnut trees. And it’s not just about food, it’s, it’s about the atmosphere and the conviviality you live when you go to a grotto and experience that.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Mm-hmm. Okay. So. If someone was visiting one of those valleys like Bavona and they were out on a hike, would they be likely to see one of those grotto?

Catharina Berni: Yeah, there are more than 100 grottos in Ticino, so you will definitely cross at least one or several ones on your way.

Carolyn Schönafinger: All right. So keep your eyes open. And of course, um, when you’re enjoying a traditional meal, you have to pair it with a glass of local wine. Is there a particular grape that the region is known for?

Catharina Berni: Yeah, there is. There is the Merlot, and the Merlot, um, actually originally was, uh, or is coming from France. They imported the Merlot grape, and that is, uh, now 120 years ago that they started planting Merlot in Ticino. So Ticino is really known for the Merlot. Um, and in the ’70s, uh, one of the wineries started to experiment and start doing and producing a white Merlot. Uh, so you will find both. The grape is a dominant grape and thrives in our sunny climate. It’s often produced in by very small and high-quality local wineries.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Mm-hmm.

Catharina Berni: Pairing a glass of Ticino Merlot, uh, with a meal in a grotto is probably the most authentic experience, uh, you can have. I think it, it completes your meal, as you said.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, absolutely. And white Merlot, like it, that must be so, so rare. So why not have a glass when you’re in Ticino?

Catharina Berni: Yeah. And then the thing is, what is very particular too is that It’s served, uh, in the, in a cup and it’s called, uh, tazzina, which is very typical for Ticino.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay. So like a, a very rustic kind of cup as, as opposed to a, you know, a, a fine glass.

Catharina Berni: Yeah, exactly.

Carolyn Schönafinger: You mentioned earlier that the two, um, larger towns of Lugano and Locarno are both situated on lakes and I know that lake cruises are very popular. I’ve been lucky enough to experience cruising on both those beautiful lakes. But for people who were coming— but I guess particularly in the summer, have they got the opportunity to try other sorts of water sports on the lakes?

Catharina Berni: Yeah, you can absolutely explore, especially on Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore, They are, they are just perfect for water sports. You can do whatever you like. It starts by SUP, stand-up paddling, kayaking, sailing, wakeboarding, and even windsurfing. You can do it all because probably that’s one of the things you don’t keep in mind. It’s, there are places which are still pretty windy. So that is also an option. Right. Besides the lakes, I think it would be interesting to mention also our rivers because The rivers are very particular for their colours and, uh, clearness. You can even do canoeing in the rivers, and I was very surprised seeing the fact that the canoeing here reminds you even of being in Great Canyons in America, and you have it all in this little spot of Ticino. So you can do whatever you like as, uh, water sports, I would say. But there is also plenty of lidos and swimming areas. So also here you can experience the Dolce Vita and just relax by the water. It’s a great way to combine activity and enjoy the beautiful scenery around.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah. Good, good point about the rivers. The colour of those rivers is just incredible, isn’t it? It’s amazing. What about other outdoor activities like hiking and cycling? Because I know they’re very popular in Switzerland. What What can people experience in Ticino if they’re into hiking or cycling?

Catharina Berni: Yeah, I think as you said, um, in Switzerland there are so many possibilities of hiking and biking, having the mountains and lakes, and you, you have it for any level. You can start easily, but you can really take it as a challenge too. And the special thing about Ticino here, I think, is that you can do that almost all year round because Ticino being such a mild, having such a mild climate allows you also doing sports like that in wintertime. We just have a new trail, which is Ticino Traverso. It’s hiking really through the whole region. You can start at the most southern point and going up to the north, and it offers incredible diversity of landscapes and you can, um, cross the entire Canton.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Wow. Okay.

Catharina Berni: Yeah. In, in general for cyclists, uh, I think it’s, as I said, uh, you can do scenic routes along the lakes or challenging mountain trails. You can do, um, whatever you like. You can do it on e-bikes, you can do it on your normal bike or travel bike, we have different trails. The infrastructure is very good.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay. And what about for people who are just coming to visit and they want to rent bikes? Is that, is that an option?

Catharina Berni: You can rent bikes. There are different bike rent points. There’s one in Bellinzona and there’s one in Locarno and Lugano. You get in every bigger city, we have bike points where it’s called bike port. And they have all sorts of bikes you can imagine.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Mm-hmm.

Catharina Berni: Okay. But they’re very Swiss cured.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah. Very good. All right. So yeah, what better thing to do, like go and have, um, bike ride and then end up at the lake, as you said before, just sitting back and enjoying la dolce vita.

Catharina Berni: Yes. And do having a nice aperitivo by the lake. Yes. That’s a perfect combination, I would say.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Absolutely. Many of our listeners will be visiting Ticino with children. So are there any family-friendly activities that you recommend?

Catharina Berni: Yeah, actually this year we’re also launching a lot of new treasure hunts designed for family, children. These interactive experiences take families through towns or nature trails. Solving clues and discovering places along the way. It’s a great way to keep kids engaged with, uh, while exploring. Now, for example, there’s that one treasure hunt where, where you can do different peaks. You can do hiking with your kids and you can collect, um, your, your treasure. And then if you find, um, 3 of them, you can just go and have a little surprise afterwards. So it, it keeps you really engaged and that is a really nice part about it, I think. And there are also adventure parks, cable cars, swimming areas. There’s Splash and Spa where the kids can have a lot of fun going down the slopes, water slopes, and plenty of easy hiking trails, which suit for families too.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay. So there’s certainly something to suit every style of traveller and even, even the littlest guests. You mentioned before about the buses that go to all ends of those valleys. So I guess it’s easy to travel around Ticino by public transport.

Catharina Berni: Yeah, it’s, it’s very easy. And most of the time, it doesn’t make a difference of time if you would go by car or do travelling by the public transport, because it’s very well organised and taking the train or the bus. It’s all in combination. Also, this is very, very Swiss, very punctual, very reliable, and, and also a very clean system. I would say it’s very enjoyable to just hop on a train or a bus and lean back and, and enjoy the, the scene. Around you because if you drive, you cannot look around. Yeah. That’s my personal experience. I really much enjoy this possibility, I must say.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, definitely. Okay. So could you just tell our listeners a bit more about the Ticino Ticket that you mentioned earlier? Just how they would go about getting that and what that covers them for?

Catharina Berni: Sure. The Ticino Ticket is for guests who stay overnight and they receive it for free. It gives unlimited access to the public transport throughout the canton, the whole canton. Plus there are discounts on many attractions. So if you go up with a cable car, you get a reduction. If you want to do some adventure parts, a lot of them have discounts. So there are more than 170 partners now with attractions who give reduction if you have the Ticino Ticket.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Wow. Okay. So yeah, it’s definitely a great value for anyone staying overnight. So what else should our listeners know about Ticino that we haven’t talked about today?

Catharina Berni: Ah, that’s, uh, pretty tough to answer because, uh, to me it seems that we gave a good roundup on everything, but, uh, I think Ticino offers a great balance. You can be active, relax by the lake, explore culture. Maybe culture was not mentioned that much, but there are also a lot of museums. And even if the sun is not out, which also can happen in Ticino, even if people are surprised when they come here, then someday it might not be so sunny. It mainly is, but sometimes we also have a little bit of rain, fortunately, because otherwise our System wouldn’t function anymore. Yes. Uh, so then you can just do more cultural stuff and enjoy obviously incredible food, all in, uh, relatively small areas. I think that is also a point which is important to imagine that Ticino is very compact. It’s, it’s just, it’s not so vast. Uh, it doesn’t take so much time to get from A to B, so that is probably one thing and coming or flying into Zurich, for example, now with the Gotthard Base Tunnel, you get from Zurich to Bellinzona in an hour and a half. You’re here.

Catharina Berni: So that is a really quick ride on the train. And yeah, it’s a perfect addition to the rest of Switzerland, I would say.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, absolutely. And also it’s so convenient for people who are perhaps coming from Italy, if they’re flying into Milan or they’re in, you know, they’re, they’re adding Italy to their Switzerland vacation. They’re so easily connected. Obviously they’re next to each other, Switzerland and Italy, but, but Ticino is there right on, on the border. So very easy access.

Catharina Berni: Definitely. Yeah. That’s one of, that’s another point. You could fly into Milan easily. You could fly into Zurich. You could also fly into Geneva. Um, there are different ways to reach Ticino easily.

Carolyn Schönafinger: So just before we finish, what do you think makes Ticino a must-visit destination?

Catharina Berni: Difficult, but I would say it’s the combination of the experiences you can have. Few places offer such a diversity. In such a compact region, as I said before, and all, and, and having this Mediterranean lifestyle, alpine nature, culture, gastronomy, and outdoor activities. I always say we hardly have any competitors. So above all, I think it’s the atmosphere. Ticino has a warm, wholesome climate, and then people. That makes visitors feel welcome and relaxed.

Carolyn Schönafinger: The best of everything in, in one canton.

Catharina Berni: Definitely. That’s why I live here.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Good choice. So where can our listeners get more information about Ticino?

Catharina Berni: You can get more information on our official website, which is www.ticino.ch. And then, um, you can just explore the website, getting inspirations and practical information and plenty of ideas to plan your trip. Hmm.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay. Well, I’m sure that everyone listening will be ready to start planning their visit to Ticino. So thank you for sharing all that with us today. It’s been great talking to you and, uh, I wish you a wonderful day.

Catharina Berni: I wish the same to you, and thanks a lot for having me. It was a great pleasure.

Carolyn Schönafinger: If you’re dreaming of a side of Switzerland that feels a little warmer, a little more relaxed, and just that bit unexpected, Ticino might be exactly what you’re looking for. If you’d like help deciding how to include Ticino in your itinerary, be sure to check out the links in the show notes. And have a listen to our previous Ticino episodes too. All the links are at holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode191, where you can also get a copy of my free Switzerland travel planning kit and guide.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Thanks so much for joining me today. I’ll be back again next week with more Swiss travel tips and inspiration. So until then, tschüss!

You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.