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Most people think they know Switzerland, even if they have never been there―rich, perfect Switzerland, where expensive watches jump out of jewellery-store display windows and onto passing wrists faster than you can say, “Do you have this in platinum?” Visitors here have more fun eating hot cheese from a pot than anywhere else. They think they also know the Swiss people―Germanic bankers discussing germane topics in Zurich or legions of diplomats going about their business, ensconced in the microcosmic comfort of Geneva. There is another Switzerland, however, where smiles are as bright as the sunshine and life is a daily celebration.

Those visitors who make the 2h40m train trip from Zurich to Lugano will find the gioia di vivere of Italian hospitality alive and well in the southern Swiss canton of Ticino. Lugano is one of the rare places on Earth where palm trees are backed by snowcapped mountains, usually under a Mediterranean sun reaching up to this side of the Swiss Alps. Those steep mountains drop sharply into Ticino’s lakes to create spectacular panoramas of natural beauty. The attractive combination of earth, water, and sky conveys a sense of well-being beyond the typical tourist destination. Ticino’s climate begets a special vegetation zone in which many pretty things grow; thanks to the mountainous divide separating Ticino from the rest of Switzerland, the climate is balmy, especially in winter. When Europe north of the Alps is battling February sleet, Ticino revels in blue skies and comparatively mild temperatures. While the occasional cold snap makes frequent visits, it never stays long.

: A boat ride on Lake Lugano, highlight to any visit.

: Serene Lake Lugano

One of Switzerland’s most appealing, albeit barely recognised, aspects is its vast and apparently insatiable appetite for cultural stimulation. Of course, world-class museums are found in major cities, but they also spring up in the smallest hamlets. For example, Lugano’s Montagnola district is the Hermann Hesse Museum, a tribute to the enigmatic, Nobel Prize-winning German who called Switzerland home until he died in 1962. This museum has become a place of pilgrimage for Hesse admirers and offers a complete program of lectures and activities in addition to its insightful displays. In the centre of Lugano, not far from the chic Via Nassa shopping street, is the MUSEC museum of cultures, where temporary exhibitions of world cultures bring the exotic to the beautiful. Nearby, the impressive LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura complex, celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, occupies a privileged position on the lakefront.

: The Hermann Hesse Museum

: Palm trees along the Lugano waterfront

: The stunning LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura complex

Lugano is the biggest city in Ticino, but it is not the cantonal capital; that honour belongs to Bellinzona – whose name, by the way, is not based on the obvious bello (beautiful), but rather on its bellicose history as a battlefield at the crossroads of Europe. How far away that past seems today as Bellinzona reigns over its dominion of utter serenity and quiet prosperity. Ramparts still found in Bellinzona remind us of forts built and battles fought on the windswept valley floor; the Swiss built a wall across the entire valley, effectively controlling the flow of goods and people between Northern and Southern Europe.

Though Ticino seems worlds away from the hubbub of big-city life, it is not that far in distance. Lugano is well connected to Zurich, Lucerne, and the rest of Switzerland thanks to its excellent rail network; this Italian-speaking part of Switzerland is also less than an hour away by car or train from central Milan and its international airport in Malpensa. There is a direct train from Malpensa to Lugano’s central train station; from there, the ever-useful Swiss Travel Pass opens a Switzerland of opportunities encompassing rail travel, lake boat rides, urban transport, and entry into more than 500 museums across the country.