WEEKEND IN MORCOTE!

During our trip to Ticino, we stayed in the lovely village of Morcote. Morcote is an old fishing village set on the shores of Lake Lugano. It is known for its charming alleys and gorgeous views. It is a perfect place to enjoy a weekend away when you’re in need of some palm trees and lake views, and we absolutely loved our weekend in Morcote.

So, what did we do in Morcote?? Well, it is in the Italian region of Switzerland, so we ATE … A LOT! We ate in the historical center of this village both nights. We really enjoyed both meals, as well as the beautiful ambience! At this time, the restaurants could only open on the terrace, so we were able to enjoy gorgeous views and yummy food.

During our first night, we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Ristorante Barcaioli. I chose the gorgonzola gnocchi, and Gregg ate veal risotto. Both of our meals were incredible. On our second night, we experienced another amazing meal at Ristorante della Torre. We sat at the terrace over the lake, and Gregg picked the lobster linguini while I chose the mushroom risotto with blueberry sauce. Both were again delicious, and we truly recommend both of these restaurants! Do NOT forget to check out the delicious gelato stands for dessert!

Now that you’re officially hungry, let’s discuss what else there is to do in Morcote. First, we had a blast wandering around the small alleys and walking along the lake. If you would like to see some beautiful views from above, take a short walk up the hill. It’s only four hundred steps up to a beautiful historic church, the Cheese Santa Maria del Sasso, which was built in a Renaissance-Baroque style between 1470 and 1478.

If you would like an adventure, head over to Monte San Giorgio. Monte San Giorgio is known for its fossils of fish and reptiles from 200 million years ago, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Unfortunately, we did not have time to do this so we will definitely be back!

Another option is to take the ferry to Melide to visit the Swiss Miniatur museum or to Lugano! The Swiss Miniatur museum is Switzerland’s largest open-air miniature museum! It is along the shores of Lake Lugano, and you are able to see EVERY major sight in Switzerland in one swoop. Just in miniature form! To be honest, I was a little unsure of this park, but we had a blast learning about the sights around Switzerland as well as pointing out the ones we had already visited.

On our last day, we left beautiful Morcote and headed towards Lugano on the ferry. We disembarked at the Paradiso spot and headed to the Monte San Salvatore funicular. Monte San Salvatore is known as the Top of Lugano, and the views are just gorgeous. We did not spend much time there because it was getting late in the day, but there is a playground, lots of hikes, a restaurant, and so many gorgeous panorama points.

As you can tell from this point, we are absolutely in love with the Ticino region. We have barely scratched the surface of all there is to do and we cannot wait for another visit soon. In fact, there is just something about Ticino that draws you to it. Make sure to check out the video below to see more about our trip!

Thank you so much for wandering along with us!