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Ticino is one of the best tourist regions in Switzerland with its mild climate, subtropical vegetation, landscape, lakes, urban centres, cuisine, culture, history, inhabitants and the Italian language which all combine to characterise and distinguish this area from the rest of the country. Land of Italian culture, politically Swiss and opening on to the rest of Europe, Ticino today is a modern and dynamic region and is similar to a bridge connecting the North and the South. As all the principal European modes of transit pass through Ticino it is easily reached by car (A2 Milano-Basel – A13 Locarno-Chur), by train (via the Gotthard and Simplon-Centovalli routes) and by plane (Lugano-Agno international airport and Milano-Malpensa intercontinental airport), thereby offering numerous holiday options for disabled persons and those in wheelchairs. The landscape is often mountainous and hilly and many of the villages with their ancient nuclei do not always permit people in wheelchairs to visit the Canton unaccompanied. We have however tried to propose precise itineraries which we recommend undertaking together with a companion as many of the localities and sights are only accessible with a measure of difficulty. The places indicated in this brochure, which refer specifically to the areas around Lake Lugano can generally be reached either by car or by public transport, in particular by train and/or boat. The five itinerary proposals offer only a few of the places to visit and thanks to the practical information and useful telephone numbers, visitors to the region can organise their stay as they please and discover: Lugano and its centre (1), Lake Lugano, the historic lakeside villages and a ride up Mt. San Salvatore (2), From Lugano to Mt. Generoso (3), Mendrisio and surrounding area (4), and In the woods between Mt. Lema and Mt. Tamaro (5). The itineraries are intended to be one day trips, indicating a choice of localities among which the most interesting places to be visited, cultural and scenic point of view, principal public and private services, parking and toilets for disabled, as well as transport, hotels, and restaurants offering suitable wheelchair access. It has to be pointed out that there are relatively few hotels, particularly in the Valleys, which offer total accessibility, or accessibility with a measure of difficulty, and consequently the choice of overnight location, category and price is limited (www.ftia.ch). Restaurants offering accessibility are also somewhat limited. However, there are countless shops, banks, services, toilets and parking places suitable for the disabled. Before commencing a stay in Ticino or embarking on one of our excursions we recommend that you consult the web sites mentioned and to ask for more comprehensive information directly from those concerned as they make available documentation regarding hotels, transport, eating out, cultural events, historic monuments, museums, excursions, sporting activities etc. Consultation of the FTIA web site is recommended www.ftia.ch as it shows the contents of this brochure and offers useful informative links, as well as a detailed guide to the buildings in Ticino, their opening times and accessibility to the public. Those wishing to obtain excursion suggestions and to check accessibility to places of interest for disabled visitors in the Lake Maggiore area, Bellinzona and valleys should ask the FTIA or other tourist offices for the brochure “Ticino for Everyone 2– Lepontine Valleys” or check the web site www.ftia.ch. ATTENTION! FTIA
is not a tourist office and will not make any bookings/reservations.
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