Ascona, the charming village

Ascona

Ascona, life style & fashion
Ascona is Switzerland's lowest lying town. It is located at 196 meters above sea level on the northern shore of Lago Maggiore, also called Lake Langen. Ascona is famous for its mild climate, its Old Town and a lake promenade which is dotted with street cafés and boasts a Latin ambience.

Ascona has always had a passion for beauty and for the pleasures life has to offer, always attentive to the quality of the service. The lakeside promenade and the narrow streets offer many temptations: fashion boutiques, shops selling luxury international brands or created by the hands of a skilled craftsman, galleries displaying small treasures, souvenir shops, spirits and fine wines.

The church of San Pietro e Paolo, which is located in Ascona's old center of town, Borgo, is well worth a visit. The church is a basilica dating back to the 16th century. The interior of the basilica is defined by columns. Its high bell tower is the landmark of the vacation destination of Ascona. The branching lanes of the Old Town lead to the car-free zone of the Lake Promenade with its charming street cafés.

The Monte Verità, the Mountain of Truth, lies above Ascona. People who subscribed to philosophies off the beaten track established a colony here at the beginning of the 20th century. The colony attracted celebrities from all over the world. Today the mountain is a place where the universities of Lucerne and Zurich hold seminars, and a museum showcases the history of the alternative colony and its founders.

Nowadays, the resort of Ascona, which is very close to Locarno, boasts a beautiful 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, elegant boutiques for shopping excursions, a large open-air swimming pool, smart hotels and many excellent restaurants, lovely walks in parkland, surfing, sailing and other water sports, not to mention boat trips on Lake Maggiore. There are many opportunities for excursions, hiking and biking in the beautifully wild scenery of the nearby side valleys of the Tessin such as the Maggiatal and Centovalli.

SHOPPING

  • Boutique Town