Gourmet Weekend in Morcote
Travelling around Switzerland has become one of my favourite activities in the past couple of years. Switzerland is so diverse and there are so many weekend trips to choose from cooler mountain retreats to warm lake areas.
This weekend we decided to spend the weekend in Morcote, Ticino and try some restaurants we had been very curious about for some time now. Morcote was voted as the “nicest village of Switzerland in 2016” and it really leaves you breathless every time you go. Even though Morcote is located on 10Km from Lugano and could also be done as a day trip, we decided that we would dedicate our entire weekend to the activities in and around this lovely area.
How to get there: If you are travelling from anywhere around Switzerland you will have to take the train to Lugano. From there you will have to take another quick train to Melide and then hop on a 10 minute bus ride. As the public transport around the area is not great and we wanted the freedom to discover whenever and wherever we wanted we decided to go by car (2.5 hours from Zürich).
Where to stay: If you want your stay to be something truly special we recommend the Relais Castello di Morcote. The magical atmosphere and delicious restaurant will leave you wanting more. If you are on a budget or do not have a car we recommend the Casa Angiolina as it is more central.
Below you will find our weekend itinerary with various activity options you can choose from.
Weekend Itinerary:
Day 1 (Friday)
You will be arriving to Morcote Friday afternoon/evening, the perfect time to drop your bags of at the hotel, clean up and go for a walk around the village. The village is not very big and if you arrived early enough you will be able to walk to the castle, the church and the cemetery before dinner. For dinner we highly recommend the Ristorante La Sorgente located in the Relais Castello di Morcote, so if this is where you are staying you will be having dinner at home. The restaurants is so lovely and if the weather permits you will be able to sit outside and enjoy your meal on typical Ticinese stone tables and amazing views.
Day 2 (Saturday)
Start your Saturday with a lovely breakfast in your hotel followed by:
Option 1: If you like to hike/walk in nature take your gear and head to San Salvatore. Take the bus to the station Lugano Paradiso - (S. Salvatore). If you have your car we still recommend going by bus as you will end the hike in Morcote and it is not a loop. Once you have arrived at the station you have two options depending on the hike difficulty you want. 1) You take the cogwheel train up mount San Salvatore and from there hike down to Morcote (hike here) or 2) you can make it a little more exciting and hike up San Salvatore and then hike down to Morcote. If you decide to do the full hike it will take you around 5 hours, the shorter version will take 3 hours. With Option 1 you will probably eat something at the Ristorante Vetta San Salvatore unless you bring something with you.
Option 2: If you want nature but also want to fully live your gourmet weekend we highly recommend you head to Monte Generoso. Take your car/bus and head to the Capolago train station, from here you will take a cogwheel train up to Monte Generoso - we booked our roundtrip tickets here as they are cheaper. On top on the Monte Generoso you will find 50Km routes for hiking so you can really choose whatever suits you best. The highlight of Option 2 is also the restaurant on top of Monte Generoso - the Fiore di Pietra Restaurant made for true gastro lovers. Please make sure to book in advance.
In the evening go back to your hotel to relax a bit or take a dip around Morcote, there are plenty of grass patches and entrances into the lake. Have a drink at Bar Gandalf and head for your dinner at Ristorante Vicania. We loved ristorante Vicania as it was real, delicious and the atmosphere is truly special (they even do weddings!).
Day 3 (Sunday)
As it is Sunday we planned an easy day for you to relax around Morcote and enjoy the beauty of it. Once you have finished your breakfast head to Parco Scherrer (it opens at 10am) and walk around this magnificent park for as long as you want to - we recommend going early as you will have the park almost to yourself. After Parco Scherrer it’s time to head to lunch at one of the newest restaurants in town - LAC. This restaurant is perfect for those travelling by car or public transport as it is in Melide (on your way back to Lugano Train Station). Have a seat on the LAC terrace and enjoy a nice plate of pasta.
