Locarno and Ascona, the Swiss shore

Back in 1513, boats from Locarno were already supplying Milan with cheese and timber along the lake route, a trade that flourished in the brief truces between cantons and duchies. That traffic still shapes these shores: painted arcades in Cannobio, pastel facades in Ascona, and promenades fringed with oleanders. From Stresa, it’s roughly 45 km along the Piedmont side to the Brissago border; a few more bring you to Locarno, where modernist blocks frame the Piazza Grande, home to the film festival since 1946.

Your day begins with hotel pickup in Stresa and a Mercedes at your disposal: the driver handles the coastal road, parking, and timing while you taste and explore. After Cannero and Cannobio, we cross into Switzerland for lunch on Ascona’s lakeside square, then wander Locarno or, weather allowing, slip over to the Brissago Islands. On the Ticino shore, with our Lake Maggiore private chauffeur, you set the pace between museums, historic cafés, and subtropical gardens.