Ticino - Tessin

The Republic and Canton of Ticino (short form:Ticino, ital.: Repubblica e Cantone Ticino, ital. Short form:Ticino) lies on the south side of the Alps and is a canton of SwitzerlandThe republic and canton will be in the west, south and east of Italian It borders the Swiss cantons in the north and north-east Grisons, Valais and Uri.

Regions

Ticino is roughly in that Sopraceneri, the upper part of the canton and Sottoceneri, the lower part of the canton divided.

Sopraceneri

The Sopraceneri region is not a political or administrative region with formally defined borders. The name Sopraceneri means above the Monte Ceneri, the ridge that separates the Magadino plain from the Vedeggio valley.

While the Sopraceneri region with 2,379 km² (919 mi²) makes up around 85% of the canton's land area, only 142,627 people live in it, which corresponds to 43% of the canton's population (As of 2008).^[1] It is therefore characterized by a significantly lower population density and level of economic activity compared to the Sottoceneri. It is a predominantly rugged alpine landscape, but paradoxically, with the shores of Lake Maggiore at 193 m above sea level, it also contains the lowest point in Switzerland.

Territorial areas and landscapes in the Sopraceneri :

district	main place	location	Circles	Regional landscapes
district Bellinzona	Bellinzona	Area: 205.6 km²	Bellinzona districtGiubiasco districtTicino district	BellinzoneseMagadino plain
district Blenio	Acquarossa	Area: 360.6 km²	Malvaglia districtAcquarossa districtOlivone Circle	Blenio Valley
district Leventina	Faido	Area: 479.7 km²	Airolo districtFaido CountyGiornico districtQuinto County	Leventina Valley
district Locarno	Locarno	Area: 550.9 km²	Circle IsoleLocarno districtMelezza districtNavegna districtOnsernone CountyVerzasca district	CentovalliGambarognoLocarneseLake MaggioreMagadino plainOnsernone ValleyVerzasca valley
district Riviera	Osogna	Area: 166.4 km²	Circle Reffier
district Vallemaggia	Cevio	Area: 569.3 km²	Lavizarra CountyMaggia districtRovana County	Bavona ValleyMaggia Valley

Sottoceneri

The Sottoceneri region is not a political or administrative region with formally defined borders. The name Sottoceneri means below the Monte Ceneri, the ridge that separates the Magadino plain from the Vedeggio valley.

While the Sottoceneri region with 432 km² (167 mi²) makes up around 15% of the canton's land area, it is inhabited by 189,123 people, which is 57% of the canton's population (2008).^[2] It is therefore characterized by a significantly higher population density and level of economic activity compared to the Sopraceneri.

Territorial areas and landscapes in the Sottoceneri :

district	main place	location	Circles	Regional landscapes
district Lugano	Lugano	Area: 308.0 km²	Agno districtBreno CountyCapriasca districtCeresio districtDistrict of LuganoMagliasina districtParadiso districtSessa districtCircle tavernDistrict of Vezia	LuganeseLake LuganoMagliasina ValleyMalcantoneMaratalTresatal
district Mendrisio	Mendrisio	Area: 100.9 km²	Balerna districtCaneggio CountyMendrisio districtRiva San Vitale districtStabio district	Mendrisiotto

places

• Agno
• Airolo - First Ticino village when you drive out of the tunnel under the St. Gotthard.
• Ascona
• Bellinzona - Capital of the canton, UNESCO World Heritage Site with three castles.
• Biasca - capital of the Riviera District
• Bosco / Gurin
• Brissago
• Cevio - capital of the District Maggia Valley
• Chiasso - The southernmost place in the canton and thus Switzerland.
• Corippo - in the Verzasca valley, is considered the most original Ticino village.
• Faido - capital of the Leventina district
• Intragna - Gateway to the Hundred Side Valleys (ital. Centovalli) of the Valle Vigezzo with the highest church tower in Ticino.
• Locarno - Main town of the same name District.
• Lottigna - capital of the District of Blenio Valley.
• Lugano - Main town of the same name District.
• Mendrisio - Main town of the same name District.
• Miglieglia - Village on the southern slope under Monte Lema
• Riva San Vitale

Other goals

• A large and well-known lake is e.g. the Lake Maggiore, in German Langensee.
• On the border with ItalianLombardy lies the Lake Lugano

background

language

In Ticino Italian spoken. The only place where German is also the official language is Bosco / Gurin.

German is widely understood, especially in tourist locations (hotels, restaurants, etc.).

getting there

By plane

The next major airport is that 45.638.7230555555556Milan Malpensa Airport(IATA: MXP), another one on the other side of the alpine massif is the 48.699.2219444444444airport Zurich(IATA: STR). There are train connections to Ticino from both of them.

The local 46.0036118.910278Lugano-Agno airport(IATA: LUG) in Agno has hardly any scheduled services and is not practical for the journey.

By train

The classic journey is made from the north via the Gotthard route; those who prefer it more leisurely and arrive from Bern or Lake Geneva can also take the narrow-gauge railway through the Valle Vigezzo of Domodossola to Locarno to take.

Who from Grisons or from Feldkirch from, can take the train to Chur drive and there with the Postbus to Bellinzona drive.

Travel information for Postbus and train www.sbb.ch.

By bus

Travel information for the Postbus www.postauto.ch or www.sbb.ch.

In the street

From the north it is usually over the St. Gotthard, or through him in the tunnel on the A2, or over the St. Bernardino, or through him in the tunnel on the A13, from South Tyrol, Ticino can be reached via the Valtellina can be achieved from Valais from over that Simplon Pass and the Valle Vigezzo.

By boat

mobility

Most places and excursion destinations in Ticino can be reached by train and bus from FART and Post (PostBus).

Tourist Attractions

Several castles like this are among the most beautiful sights in Ticino Castelli di Bellinzona, the Castello di Montebello and the Castelgrande Bellinzona. Many old patrician houses and ancient stone buildings with granite roofs are scattered throughout the canton's valleys. The two lakes are popular destinations; the Lake Maggiore (also Verbano and sometimes also called Langensee) and Lake Lugano (also Ceresio called).^[3]

activities

Due to the geophysical and geographical location, from high mountains with an alpine climate in the north and areas of the lakes with a more Mediterranean climate in the south, almost all sports are possible in the canton of Ticino over a long period of time.

Summer activities

• Swimming at the lake is possible almost everywhere with the exception of the places where there is a temporary or permanent bathing ban due to water pollution. Bathing in the rivers and torrents can also have its charm. However, you should be very careful there and do not forget that these contain some dangers even for experienced people. Because these are mostly very cold water, slippery stones, strong currents, eddies, waterfalls and unpredictable level increases after a thunderstorm or sudden and unpredictable swelling of the water volume due to the opening of tunnel or dam sluices. Bathing is prohibited in most places in the reservoir.

Incomplete listing of the special Danger points reservoir and basin and the Danger points rivers and torrents in Ticino.

• Balloon flying (ballooning).
• Boating by canoe, motorboat, pedal boat
• Bungee-Leap.
• Rafting (rafting).
• Paragliding (paragliding).
• Canoeing (canoeing).
• To run (walking) as well as strolling, walking, jogging, hiking.

Adventure sports

• River diving (river diving) is permitted in suitable places on rivers such as the Verzasca, taking appropriate precautions. See the page Frequently asked questions and the Guide to beautiful and safe river divingwhich is published jointly by the "Commissione Fiume Verzasca Sicuro", the "Gruppo Sub Verzasca" and the Ticino canton police.
• Canyons (canyoning) is an adventure sport that can also be fun and enjoyable in Ticino if you pay attention to preparation and safety. See also Warning notice Klamm, Schlucht and Tobel in the article. It is absolutely necessary to clarify the weather in advance and call the common information line at 41 (0) 91 7566615 of the two Ticino power plant operators Officine idroelettriche Blenio (OFIBLE) and Officine idroelettriche Maggia (OFIMA). Please also the additional ones Online information of the power plant operator OFIMA. It is forbidden to go into gorges in Ticino between 10 p.m. and 9 a.m.
• Water-skiing.

Winter activities

• Ice bathing in the lake.
• Snowshoeing.
• To ski (Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing and toboggan runs) There are opportunities in the following Ticino areas:
  • in the Bleniese in Campo Blenio [1], Campra [2], Nara [3] and Lukmanier [4].
  • in the Leventinese in Airolo [5], Carì [6] and Prato [7] (Leventina).
  • in the Locarnese in Cardada and Cimetta [8].
  • in the Luganese in Tamaro.
  • in the Vallemaggiese in Bosco Gurin and Mogno.

See the Ski snow report.

• Shipping are included in the winter timetable on the Swiss part of the lake basin of Lake Maggiore only offered between Locarno and Magadino.

Regular events

• The Risottata di Carnevale takes place on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. There used to be a charitable background that has now disappeared. The tradition of preparing food in the open air in large cauldrons and distributing it to those taking part in the festival has remained. Depending on the place, it is traditionally risotto or gnocchi or polenta with the local sausages Luganighe.
• Takes place in early May Caseifici Aperti , the days of the open dairies take place. At 19 cheese dairies from all parts of the canton you can taste Ticino cheeses and take a look at cheese production. There is also lunch with cheese and regional specialties such as polenta or Ticino Luganighetta.
• Takes place at the end of May Cantine Aperte, the day of the open wine cellar takes place. The cellars and vineyards of 50 Ticino wineries can be visited and the wines can be tasted. In addition, some also have lunch and dinner, entertainment, music and exhibitions.

kitchen

The kitchen is very versatile. We recommend the traditional grotto restaurants typical of the Italian lakes and Ticino region.

• The Luganighetta is a raw pork sausage. It is twisted into a snail and held in shape by a skewer. It can be fried or combined with other dishes such as risotto.
• The chestnut used to be a poor people's meal and now frowned upon. Today it is celebrating a comeback in many areas, from jam, honey, cakes to bread, puree, pasta to beer and grappa. Candied chestnuts, marrons ice cream, are a good dessert.
• Vermicelles is a dessert made from boiled and pureed chestnuts, which is refined with butter, syrup, vanilla sugar and kirsch and eaten with whipped cream. The chestnut mass is pressed through a perforated sheet, creating "worms" about 15 cm long. The chestnut worms can also be taken home as a souvenir in the tube.

nightlife

The nightlife in the numerous holiday resorts of Ticino is moderate and not very diverse as you have to accept long distances. There are only two discos in Sopra Ceneri, the larger of the two is called Vanilla and is located in Riazzino. But there are small bars and night bars in the larger towns, as well as casinos in Campione d'Italia, Locarno and Lugano that attract numerous tourists.

security

crime towards strangers is rather rare in Ticino. Nevertheless, it is advisable to observe the usual safety rules as everywhere; Caution helps to avoid unpleasant or even dangerous situations:

1. Do not walk alone through unknown empty streets at night, avoid dark alleys, do not unnecessarily display watches, jewelry and expensive mobile phones or cameras.

1. Opportunity makes thieves! As everywhere in busy travel destinations, valuables should not obviously be left behind in the high-priced vehicle to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Dangers on watercourses. For several years, the canton of Ticino has been running an intensive prevention campaign to draw attention to the dangers of watercourses during the summer bathing season. Especially tourists are addressed. Because the risk of swimming in the river is not immediately recognizable. At the entrances to the valleys there are large posters with the campaign motto: "So beautiful, so dangerous".^[4]

• Flow and Torrent Ticino is a paradise for wild mountain streams and rivers. But the clear, often greenish shimmering water can quickly become a death trap. Here is an excerpt from an article that appeared in the NLZ and NZZ: However, staying in several sections of the Ticino rivers is considered risky: there are slippery stones as well as currents and eddies that are much stronger than in the lakes; in addition, the water temperature remains low. According to Raffaele Demaldi, head of the cantonal water police, the currents represent the greatest danger because they are difficult to see for those who are unfamiliar with the area. Often bathers and divers are suddenly swept away by a current. The risk of drowning is high because the water eddies - especially in the Pozzi - pull the body downwards. The river level can also rise abruptly because a power station up in the valley has drained water from a reservoir or a thunderstorm has discharged.^[5].^[4]
• Gorge, gorge and ravine like the rivers and torrents, especially in the Sopraceneri, are often places where there have been deaths from carelessness over and over again. For the sake of your own safety, visits should only be made after checking the weather in advance and calling the joint information line 41 (0) 917 566 615 of the two Ticino power plant operators Officine idroelettriche Blenio (OFIBLE) and Officine idroelettriche Maggia (OFIMA) for the purpose of accessibility .

climate

The area south of the weather divide of the Lepontine Alpine Ridge, in which the territory of Ticino is located, is a world of its own that cannot be compared with any other Swiss region. The through the Alpenföhn, in Ticino (because coming from the north) known as the northern foehn, the cool winds caused an increase in the duration of sunshine, gave the area on Ticino soil the nickname Switzerland's sun room. For this one SRF radio Broadcasting fee, Why does the northern foehn bring cool temperatures in Ticino from X 2012. North of the Alps is dominated by an Atlantic climate with prevailing westerly winds, whereby the moist cloud layers accumulate on the Alpine ridge and the north side is mostly cloudy and rainy gray. The north foehn wind caused by the alpine foehn on the south side of the weather divide of the Lepontine alpine ridge clears the sky of clouds. As a result, the south-east side of the Lepontine Alps has a Mediterranean climate and warmer temperatures are usually reached quickly in spring. The reverse also occasionally occurs when, with southerly winds (south foehn) with a low pressure area in the southwest or east, the clouds on the south side of the weather divide of the Alpine ridge empty like a torrent, while on the north side of the Lepontine Alps the sky may be cloudless. The summers are mostly warm. And only in the higher alpine regions is it considerably cooler. The winters are mostly mild and often sunny. Due to these climatic conditions, palm trees and exotic plants thrive along the northern Italian lake basins and nearby valleys, the sight of which is accompanied by snow-covered peaks in their bloom in spring; an experience not to be missed. If you are flexible about your travel destination, you can choose the sunnier side of the Alps based on the weather forecast, whereby in spring and autumn enormous traffic jams often form on the way into and beyond Ticino: as a sun seeker you are often not quite traveling alone.

trips

literature

travel Guide

Hüsler, Eugen Eduard (Author): The 40 most beautiful tours • Ticino. Munich, Germany: Bruckmann publishing house, 2011 (I), Bruckmann's hiking guide, ISBN 978-3-7654-4904-8 , P. 168; 175 x 114 x 120 mm (6.9 x 4.5 x 4.7 in), 212 g (7½ oz), paperback, stapled, paperback cover (in German). Hiking tours around Ascona, Lugano, Locarno on Lake Maggiore, San Carlo and Bellinzona, with hiking maps and GPS data for each tour to download from gps.bruckmann.de. Content: On the Gotthard Pass • On the Chilchhorn • The »Strada Alta« • Lago Tremorgio - Passo Vanit • From Val Cadlimo to Val Piora • Around Pizzo Colombe • The great Greina circuit • Over the Adulahütte • San Carlo in Negrentino • Bellinzona and its castles • To the Sassariente • Hike in the Val Verzasca • To the Rifugio Barone • To the Madom da Sgióf • Locarno on Lake Maggiore • The Cima della Trosa • Over the Salmone • To the Lake Mognola • Around the Cristallina • To the alpine huts from Larèchia • Lake circuit from Robièi • Bocchetta di Fornasèl • To Lake Üssera • To Bocchetta di Doia • To Pizzo Ruscada • The Corona di Pinz • From Ascona to Brissago • The May mountains of Gambarogno • Monte Gambarogno • Malcantone circular hike • La Traversata • Across Monte Boglia • Lugano - a city walk • Monte San Salvatore - Morcote • On the Sighignola • On the Monte Generoso • In the Valle di Muggio • Around Mendrisio • The Monte San Giorgio • The southernmost point of Switzerland.
The older edition of this book with 40 pleasure tours including title and book format:
Hüsler, Eugen E. (Author): Pleasure hiking in Ticino • The land behind the Gotthard: stones, chestnuts and lakes. Munich, Germany: Bruckmann publishing house, 2009, ISBN 978-3-7654-4806-5 , P. 142; 165 x 235 mm (6.5 x 9.3 in), hardcover. With colored sketches and numerous mostly colored illustrations inside. (in German). 40 pleasure tours, on exciting paths across Ticino, to the most beautiful destinations between lakes and peaks. Including many tips on culture and Culinaria.

Hempel, Mirjam (Author): Ticino; Vol.997. Innsbruck, Austria: Kompass Verlag, 2005 (I), Compass hiking guide, ISBN 978-3-85491-771-7 , P. 128; 178 x 122 x 140 mm (7 x 4.8 x 5.5 in), 200 g (7 oz), cardboard cover with spiral binding (in German). 50 hiking suggestions, from walks to hearty mountain tours, were explored on site. The tours are marked according to their difficulty and provided with profile sketches, on which the height difference to be overcome, the walking time and the places to stop for refreshments can be read. Each description is supplemented by a cartographic sketch of the hike.

Web links

• Official website of the tourist office «Ticino Tourism» (ital.: «Ticino Turismo») www.ticino.chPage in German, English, French and Italian.
• Official website of the Republic and Canton of Ticino www.ti.chPage in Italian.
• Page with travel recommendations to Ticino www.reiseziel-tessin.dePage in German.
• Page on the population statistics of Ticino www.urbistat.itPage in English and Italian.
• Page about mineral finds in Ticino www.mindat.orgPage in English.

Individual evidence