SwissMissMeg

The new year has brought new visitors to Lugano. After returning from my holiday in the States, I had a visit from my friend Ali who I taught with in both Moscow and Istanbul. Headed to Rome on a work assignment, she flew into Milan for a quick visit.

We made the most of her 48 hours in town. As nearly everything is closed on Sundays in Switzerland, I knew our adventure would be outside. Thankfully, the weather cooperated and we were greeted with a bluebird day.

After pancakes and cuddles with Mol, we headed out to Gandria, a small fishing village on the north shore of Lake Lugano. In the summer, there is ferry service, but in the off-season, there is the 490 bus from Lugano Centro. Our minibus climbed the base of Monte Brè for 10 minutes before stopping off at Gandria Strada.

As we wandered down the worn steps down into the village, every turn held a beautiful vista or quaint nativity scene in a doorway.

Humans are thought to have inhabited Gandria as early as 550 BC when Celts discovered the area. Perched upon the base of Brè, which translates to “mountain” in Celtic, today the village is home to 200 year-round inhabitants.

After stopping into the Church of Saint Vigilio, we found a perfect spot for lunch at Ristorante Roccabella. One of the only restaurants open in off-season, the place was packed. We were lucky to get a table out on the water’s edge.

I would love to come back and spend a night in one of the pensiones (guesthouses) in Gandria during the summer months when ceramic studios and artisans shops are open. I’m told there is silk produced here thanks to the mulberry trees. Certain doorways in the village really reminded me of Istanbul.

After lunch, Ali and I walked the winding footpath known as the Olive Path back to downtown. End-to-end, the journey takes about an hour.

Curving along the cliffside, the path passed through tiny hamlets, home to only a handful of residents (two- and four-legged).

We soaked in Golden Hour and watched the sun slip behind San Salvatore from a bench in Lugano’s Parco Ciani. All in all, it was a beautiful day on Lake Lugano and a wonderful visit.