Bellinzona

Bellinzona [1] is a city in Switzerland.

Travel to Bellinzona - Visa Requirements

Tours and Getting around Bellinzona

Bellinzona tourist attractions and sightseeing

• Bellinzona’s castles. In 2000, the Castles of Bellinzona were included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Take the postal bus from the FFS train station up to Artore where the Sasso Corbaro Castle dominates the city from 462 meters. It was built in only six months in 1479 as the highest fortification in Bellinzona. Descend to the Montebello Castle, the most picturesque of the three. Probably built in the 13th century and restored in the 1970s, the Montebello Castle is a spectacular example of a medieval castle and houses a very interesting civic and archeological Museum. Steps along the old city walls lead the visitor to the Piazza della Collegiata; from here follow the San Michele path up to Castelgrande, remodeled in the last years by Aurelio Galfetti with bold architectural solutions, among which the elevator in the rock and the helicoidal ramp to reach the summit directly from the Piazza Mario della Valle.

There is a historical Museum in one wing of the castle with an architectural section as well as an artistic-historical one. In the south building there is an elegant restaurant with its annexed wine cellar where almost all of Ticino's wine production can be tasted. From Castelgrande follow the wall, also restored, which once went all the way to the Ticino River. A footbridge crosses the part, which was knocked down to allow transit on the Viale Portone. The view from the wall sweeps over the very modern buildings, the pride of Ticino's architects (Casa del Portone, Casa Bianca, Casa Nera, Casa Fabrizia) with the green background of the Sports Center with its public pool and tennis courts on the river's edge. From the walkway return to the station either through Città Vecchia from via Orico, or following the Viale Portone or via Mirasole.

Bellinzona city tours

Bellinzona souvenirs and shopping

Bellinzona Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

• Giardino, Via Orico(On the corner of Piazza Governo, South West (or left turn) down Viale Stazione from the main train station.). Hidden ristorante/pizzeria frequented by locals offering good quality medium-priced Italian cooking only 7 minutes walk from the main train station. 

Bellinzona nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs

Bellinzona cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels and lodging

• Hotel Internazionale(Directly opposite the train station), Piazza Stazione 35 - Bellinzona - 6501, ☎ +41 91 825 43 33(fax: +41 91 826 13 59), [2].  

• There is a possibility to stay in old historical houses at the Humanità Hostel in Cabbiolo, about 25 km from Bellinzona. +41 91 830 14 81, info@humanita.ch [3]

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This page was last edited by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by T. Church and Evan Prodromou, Wikitravel user(s) Episteme, Unger and Nzpcmad and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license