Brissago & Ronco s/Ascona

Brissago, Ronco sopra Ascona and the Brissago Islands all offer fantastic lake and mountain leisure opportunities. The huge geographical area they cover literally stretches from the lakeside – at less than 200m above sea level, Switzerland’s lowest point – to the mountains, culminating in the peak of the Ghiridone at 2,200m. This captivating area enjoys the influence of an unusual subtropical climate, making it possible to find incredibly varied vegetation, on the Brissago Islands in particular.

A town suspended between the shores of Lake Maggiore and the steep slopes of the mountains, Brissago is an oasis of tranquillity to retreat to for a relaxing holiday. The lower part of the town, its oldest, developed around the Renaissance church of San Pietro e Paolo; the narrow alleyways that descend towards the lake conceal plenty of fascinating corners and glimpses of gardens full of typically Mediterranean plants, such as lemons and oranges.

From Brissago you can climb up the Sacro Monte and to the Santuario di Santa Maria Addolorata, a once wild and dramatic place that now boasts an unusually picturesque charm thanks to its baroque style. Brissago is also famous for its cigars that bear the name of the town overlooking Lake Maggiore. Founded by a group of enterprising locals and Italians in 1847, the Fabbrica Tabacchi Brissago was the starting point for the evolution of the cigar industry in Ticino and specialised in the artisanal production of Virginia cigars. Thanks to the expertise of the Brissago factory, these cigars would later become known as Brissago cigars. The charming town of Ronco sopra Ascona boasts medieval origins. Built of tower houses that lean one against the other, it climbs up the promontory overlooking the lake and offers enchanting views of the landscape. As well as its intimate and welcoming atmosphere, plenty of famous people have also made this village their home. The birthplace of Antonio Ciseri, in its cemetery you will also see the graves of many artists who chose it as their adopted home, such as Eric Maria Remarque and his wife Paulette Goddard (formerly the wife of Charlie Chaplin), Richard Seewald, Rolf Lenne, Ernst Fischer, Ursula La Ruelle-Krebs, Gerhard Maasz and Kurt Hoffmann.