It’s just a short walk from the Madonna del Sasso church to the
base station of the Cardada-Cimetta cable car, whose modern “teardrop”
glass-walled cabins offer some of the most captivating views of the
region. You’ll be able to admire Switzerland’s lowest point, the
Lake Maggiore delta, and its highest, Dufourspitze, the tallest
peak in the Monte Rosa massif simultaneously as you climb to 1,670m
above sea level in just a few minutes. Look hard enough and you’ll
even be able to see the fault line where the alpine chain separates
the European Continental Plate and the African Plate. Packed your
hiking boots? Exceptional views of the Alps await on trails setting
off from Cima della Trosa (1,869m) and il Madone (2,039m). There
are also paths leading down to the Maggia and Verzasca valleys. Of
the five mountain restaurants in the area, Capanna Cardada (+41 79
287 73 53) gets our vote. Around a 20-minute walk from either
Cardada or Cimetta, its 40-seater terrace makes a great place to
rest tired legs and linger over traditional Ticinese dishes with a
side serving of panoramic views.

The beating heart of Locarno, and hotbed of activity come
August, when the world-famous Locarno Film Festival hosts open-air screenings here,
the Piazza Grande is the ideal place to begin any self-guided
stroll – ideally over a chocolate-dusted cappuccino and a
jam-filled pastry at one of its characterful cafés. Look down to
spot the pavement’s cobblestones, set on edge in typical Ticino
style, before continuing to nearby Castello Visconteo, a 12th-century fortress and
former HQ of the city’s bailiffs that now houses an archaeological
museum and dazzling array of Roman glass excavated locally. Walk
uphill, on steep, narrow streets, to the città vecchia, the oldest
part of town, peppered with relics of times gone by: think
intricately shaped window sills, ancient frescoes, the odd arch
embellished with a coat of arms, patrician houses with courtyards,
small gardens and sun-flooded arcades. No tour of Locarno would be
complete without a visit to the Madonna del Sasso, built on the spot where, in
1480, Brother Bartholomeo da Ivrea from the town’s San Francesco
monastery was visited by an apparition of the Virgin Mary. Ascend
on foot to drink in far-reaching views of the glittering Lake
Maggiore and the shoreline villages that surround it, before
stepping inside the cool sanctuary of the church. There, admire
artworks including stuccoes, frescoes, ex votos (offerings to
saints) and canvases by Bramantino and Ciseri, many of which were
revitalised by a restoration project completed in 2013.

A visit to Ascona’s 150-hectare Terreni alla
Maggia agricultural estate makes it instantly clear why Ticino
is so special: namely, slow food, spectacular landscapes and a
close connection between people and the land. Home to vineyards,
orchards and fields of crops including the only rice grown 100 per
cent in Switzerland, the estate has been championing sustainable,
centuries-old farming practices since it was founded in 1930. Join
a two-hour cellar tasting tour to sample a diverse array of reds,
whites and rosés made from grapes grown on the vines outside, then
visit the farm shop to fill your basket with the likes of polenta
flour, chestnut honey and Ticinese grappa. For the full
farm-to-fork experience, head for dinner to the neighbouring resort
of Castello del Sole, on the western shores of Lake
Maggiore. A member of The Living Circle, a group of luxury hotels
and restaurants whose food and drink are sourced directly from
their own farms, its menus are bursting with picked-that-day
Terreni alla Maggia produce. If you’re lucky enough to visit in
autumn or winter, the truffle risotto is a must-try, but a glass of
merlot, kerner or bondola from the estate’s vineyard is a good idea
at any time of the year.

Switzerland doesn’t lack contenders for the title of most
beautiful valley, but this one, carved by the emerald-green
Verzasca River, is definitely among them. For a gentle introduction
to the area, we suggest lacing up your hiking boots and heading for
the Val Porta Forest Reserve, accessed from
Vogorno. Situated in a side valley of the Verzasca, the reserve is
reached via a historical trail that winds through sun-dappled larch
and beech groves, across open areas of meadows dotted with orchids
and tiger lilies, and past the bubbling natural springs of Mosciöi
and Morasc. Looking for a bigger rush? Head to the Verzasca dam on Lago di Vogorno. This is where
James Bond famously bungee-jumped in the opening scenes of
Goldeneye, and if you can handle 7.5 seconds of pure adrenaline,
then you can do it, too.