Sunlight finds the frescoes before it finds the square.
Cimetta
An unique sideways chair swings open onto Lake Maggiore, with nothing between the seat and the air.
The journey to Cimetta unfolds in three stages, each one slower and higher than the last.
From Locarno's old town, a funicular opened in 1906 climbs 173 metres to Orselina in about four minutes, its curved track cut past the Sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso.
At Orselina, travelers change to Mario Botta's cable car: raindrop-shaped glass cabins, built in 2000, that rise from 395 to 1340 metres in five minutes.
A short walk across the Cardada station leads to the last stage: a chairlift from 1954, the only one in Switzerland with side-facing seats, built specifically so nothing blocks the view. Thirty-two two-seater chairs carry passengers sideways up the final slope.
Seven minutes later, Cimetta appears at 1671 metres, Lake Maggiore spread out below and the Lepontine Alps closing the horizon.
At the top, trails lead on toward Alpe di Cardada and down into the Verzasca and Maggia valleys. Paragliders launch from the open ridge on the thermals. In winter a short ski run drops back toward Cardada, and snowshoes replace boots. A mountain restaurant by the chairlift station holds the view a little longer before the descent.