Switzerland one step away from Moltrasio: Day trip to Bellinzona

Moltrasio is a very short distance from Switzerland and “canton Ticino”: for your day trip you should visit a wonderful town unknown to most: Bellinzona.

How to reach Bellinzona from Hotel Posta Moltrasio.

Bellinzona is located just 60 km from Moltrasio, and it can easily be reached with the A9 / A2 highway direction north, or with comfortable trains. In both cases, most of the route is on Swiss territory and therefore you need your identification document to cross the border. To use the highway, you must first obtain the Vignette, while trains departing from Como San Giovanni are comfortable and punctual, but more expensive than Italian one.

Bellinzona’s History

Bellinzona, the Ticino’s capital is located in a strategic position which explains much of its success: the city is on the north-south axis near to the Gotthard, Lukmanier, San Bernardino and Novena Passes. In the past this position has a fundamental strategic importance, for that reason it has numerous impressive fortifications, making it one of the cities with most defensive architecture of the entire alpine area. Walking in Bellinzona will be perfect for a dip in the Middle Ages. Bellinzona was a land conquered by Franks and Lombards, who conceived here their battles. Later, the dominion was disputed between Como and Milan. In this period were built three beautiful castles, the real symbol of the city. From 1500, with different and subsequent events, Bellinzona is part of the Swiss territory.

A walk through the city is the best way to discover it: visit one by one its three castles, Castelgrande, Montebello and Sasso Corbaro. These beautiful castles, fortifications and walls make Bellinzona unique and beautiful. These monuments since 2000 are part of the UNESCO heritage list. I suggest you to spend the whole day visiting this beautiful town and its castles. Besides them, you should also visit the Town Hall, the Collegiate Church of Saints Peter and Stephen and the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, very interesting from an architectural point of view.

Visit Bellinzona during its famous Carnival 

Bellinzona, with its little high altitude, has a very pleasant climate all year round, mostly sunny even in winter. I suggest you to visit the city during the ancient carnival, the famous one called Rabadan. This holiday, with a tradition of over 150 years, is famous and to assist it are coming thousands of people from all over Switzerland and beyond. The Bellinzona’s carnival means 6 consecutive days of celebration, in which the city remains in the hands of the King. The name of the carnival, Rabadan comes from the Piedmontese dialect and it means “noise or reduced pain man.” Very typical of Swiss carnivals are Guggen, bands who perform during the carnival. This band has a peculiarity: its musicians are often improvised and they play masquerade as a typical tradition of southern Germany. In Bellinzona the first Ticino Guggenmusik is called CIOD Stonaa: a truly unforgettable spectacle!

Organize your day in Bellinzona starting from Moltrasio, we are at your disposal as always to give you all the information you need, as always, with a smile!

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons