I just read that you are visiting Switzerland and that you plan to come to Locarno or Lugano.

As I grew up in Ascona and am now living very close to Locarno (5 minutes by car) I absolutely recommend to spend the 2 nights in the Locarnese. Also Ascona and Locarno are right on your way between Zermatt and Stresa, while Lugano is a bit more distant.

Ascona is a small village with many good hotels (one of the best hotels - Eden Roc- of Switzerland is located here). It's very touristy especially during summer but it has some nice shops and the center with its narrows roads is very picturesque.

Locarno is bigger and is busy all year round. You can find very nice hotels in Locarno, too: a couple of them are located around the lake (sometimes a bit noisy depending on the location). You can find also very nice Garni's (a sort of B& B).

There is a bus running between Locarno and Ascona, so if you decide to stay in Locarno you can easily reach Ascona by bus or even by boat or vv. The surroundings of Locarno/Ascona are one of the most beautiful in Switzerland. There are many nice valleys to visit (for example Valle Verzasca or Valle Maggia) or you could take a small cable car and go up to Orselina to visit the Monastery of Madonna del Sasso. From there you have a breathtaking view of the whole area. If you like to do something more relaxing you can take a very nice walk along the lakeshore. There are many benches and a couple of restaurants were you can stop if you are tired.

Last but not least....the food which is delicious. In our restaurants you can taste wonderful wines and eat tasty risotto, pasta, pizza, etc. If you are interested in, I could give you names and addresses of good restaurants or grottos. I also could give you information regarding hotels. Just let me know.

Kind regards, Cornelia, Minusio, Ticino