Stories

Michele Ravetta, friar of the Convent

Our lives and work are all about hospitality, in the Franciscan style.

A peaceful and historic retreat

Yvonne and Loris Sonzogni, passionate cabin keepers

It was a long-cherished dream.

A tub at 1,870 metres above sea level

Gaby Gianini and Benedetta Molteni, owner and oenologist of Tenuta Castello di Morcote

Good wines are mostly made in the vineyard.

Eden on Arbostora

Chothar, the chef who brought a pinch of Tibet to Ticino

It's one of my favourite places in Ticino.

From Tibet to Carasc

Claudio Fontana, participant in the Processions of Holy Week

You wait 364 days for this moment.

A packed procession

Carlotta Rossi, Art curator

I like this place because art needs room to breathe in order to have the right effect.

Art in all colours, shapes and sizes

Martina Zanetta, a student who looks into the distance

What’s this slot in the wall? It’s definitely an analogue drink vendor.

A bench on the lake

Carmelo Zanatta, beekeper and bee inspector

Bees are my passion.

A beekeeper in Mendrisiotto

Eri-san, the housewife bringing ancient traditions from Japan to Ticino.

Here I can practice my culture and feel close to home.

Ancient rituals on the Monte Verità

Michela di Savino, founder of Innerwalk Project

Everyone in the group pushes their own boundaries.

In conversation with Michela di Savino

Marialuce Valtulini, Cheesemaker

Gin and Ticino – like chalk and cheese.

"Traditions need to evolve and grow or they die out"

Agnese and Marco Leonardi, Impianti Turistici Cioss Prato

I found my Nepal in miniature there.

A sparkle in the Alps

Emanuela Fiorito, scientific assistant and teacher.

It was love at first sight with nature.

From micro to macro

Hans Bandi, owner of the Bed&bike Tremola San Gottardo

I want to raise awareness about what the region where I grew up has to offer.

From free-heel… to pedals

Pietro Zanoli, hut warden of Alpe Nimi

At the end of the season, I holiday up on the mountain together with the goats.

The goatherd and his native Ticino goats

Omar Bariffi, an exciting picnic next to the Piumogna waterfall

The air is filled with the noise of the waterfall, the fragrance of the wood and birdsong.

A picnic at the Piumogna waterfall

Almute and Alex Naef, Sculpture School Peccia

In sculpture it’s important not to lose touch with what you are doing.

A striking passion

Lara Monti and Carlo Scheggia, chestnut experts

The wood connects.

The sovereign chestnut

Alessandro, Damiano and Luca, founders of Ticino Mountain Bike Trailbuilding

We wanted to develop flow trails.

Mountain Bike Trailbuilding in Ticino

Silvia Torricelli and Yuri Catania, hosts in CasaGalleria.ART.

Art has to be wide-reaching. It has to touch the heart and mind.

Marvelling in the Mara Valley

Andrea Pirro, SUP trainer

In the Ascona delta it’s like to be in holiday.

A Stand Up Guy

Paddling with Eva Antonini, art, panoramas and emotions

Hey, stop! Yes, you in the canoe! I’d really like to have a go. What do I need to do?” The passion for kayaking began with a whistle and a question.

Kayaking on Lake Lugano

Tauf Khamitov, athlete, coach and KVplus founder

A beautiful place helps to create a beautiful product.

A medal for Dongio

Eleonora Castagnetta, Multicolor Architect

Architecture has always been part of my life.

The union of architecture, art, and color

Damiano Robbiani, Co-author of the work “Militias of the Blenio Valley – between history and memory”

The Blenio militias unite an element of religion and community: togetherness.

A chat with Damiano Robbiani

Giorgio Valenti, member of the Via Alta Crio committee

What I really liked about creating the Via Alta Crio was the good teamwork.

The most recent high route

Marco Nussbaum, archer, graphic designer, snowboarder, sailor and artist

This is pure nature.

The William Tell of Magadino

Alfio Martinelli, archaeologist

Scattered around Ticino, there are at least 400 remains of castles or mediaeval villages.

What the moles tell us

Federico Soldati, founder of FlyTicino

Tandem flight is wonderful: synergy with the passenger.

Magical flight

Katrin Lange, manager of Casa del Tè

Tea represents hospitality and welcome.

Wellness style

Rachele Gadea Martini, Director of the Fondazione Valle Bavona

The Bavona Valley has over 400 splüi, including 130 in the Calnègia Valley.

Tiptoeing… along stone paths

Manuel Bolliger and Adrian Feitknecht, founders of the Malteria Ticinese

We can produce basic and special malts here.

A visit to Ticino's very first malthouse

Irene Petraglio, milleress

We grind 20 tonnes of corn each year.

Visiting the milleress in the Muggio Valley

Clarissa and Lorenzo Orsi, B&B Cà San Matteo

60% of trail running is in your head, the rest is physical fitness.

Exceptional scenery

Frank Oerthle, Head Chef of Galleria Arté al Lago restaurant

Inspiration sometimes comes to me when cycling around Ticino.

Art at table

Daniele Marcacci, President of the Swiss Camellia Society

I appreciate the infinite variety of camellia colours.

The queen of Lake Maggiore

Lorenzo Albrici, Chef at the Locanda Orico restaurant

My cuisine is elaborate, but still preserves the flavours.

Eating with the chef

Mattias Roock, Executive Chef at the Castello del Sole in Ascona

We’re the only ones to have our own rice fields in Switzerland.

Sustainability at table

Doris Martinali, cheesemaker

We make hay regularly from May to September. It’s a real marathon.

From the haymaking marathon to the exquisite cheese

Davide Gagliardi, Creator of the Unexpected Classic Tour

Our tours aim to offer exclusive access to places that are usually off limits.

Theatrical walks

Nana, mother and nature lover.

Sometimes, saudade catches me off guard.

From Brazil to Lugano

Manolo Piazza, Association Amis dala Capanna Gambarögn

The view from the hut is spectacular all year round.

A place for stopping, meeting and socialising

Guido De Sigis, architect

Not just picture postcards.

A conversation with architect Guido De Sigis

Yari Copt, young entrepreneur

I like living life to the full. Wasting time bothers me.

Tailor made in Ticino

Lorenzo Steiger, director of the Bigatt Hotel & Restaurant

For me, sustainability is about focusing on the person.

When hospitality and inclusivity become one

Zita Sartori, founder of hammock-sharing

Swinging in a hammock allows you to reconnect with yourself and nature.

In the Rovana Valley with Zita Sartori

Fabrizia Girò, fascinated by the Bolle di Magadino

The reed beds are a particularly attractive colour.

Walking through the reed beds

Simone Galli, director of Erbe Ticino

We focus on enhancing the cultivation of aromatic herbs.

Ticino, land of herbs and spices

Susanne Bigler Gloor, trekking with animals

Pull gently, don’t slouch and never doubt you’re the boss!

Finding one’s place among donkeys

Jasmine Trogu, Hospitality Manager of the Monte Verità hotel

Monte Verità is a theatre that every day has a new scenario.

Wellness style

Jeremy Gehring and Désirée Voitle, managers of the Albergo Diffuso in Corippo

The houses are named after the people who used to live in them.

A village transformed into a hotel

Claudio Cameroni, pioneer of bouldering in Ticino

20 years ago, in the woods we used mattresses from home.

Ticino on the rocks

Matthias Bachofen, woodturner

The charm is in the material – wood.

An art to be learned

Marcello Stivan, promoter of non-motorized traffic

I want to make people think about how they get around.

Farm shop tour by bike on the Magadino Plain

Egidio Maglio, Chief railway operator of the Ferrovia Monte Generoso for almost 40 years

I married the railway.

130 years old but not feeling it

Nadia Bernasconi, Director of Camping Monte San Giorgio and Ca.Stella FARM

There’s no light pollution, perfect for stargazing.

When hospitality meets solidarity

Carlo Crivelli, vine grower

Get hands-on with winemaking.

Top-shelf wines, made in Ticino

Gabriella Monfredini Rigiani, host swisstavolata.ch

Ready for baked trout en papillote?

Melide: between lake and cellars

Andrea Ziino, chief operating officer

Our lost wax technique has not changed for 5,000 years.

Discovering artistic masterpieces

Gabriele and Martino Bianchi, managers of the Azienda Agricola Bianchi

We try and maintain balance as much as possible in everything we do.

Natural balance

Cristian Moreschi, Executive Chef at the Ristorante Principe Leopoldo

Local products are a constant source of ideas and experimentation in my cuisine.

At table with a view

Eva Arnoldi, founder of Leventina Western

Horse riding helps you learn to have faith in yourself.

A passion for riding

Eric Notari, master brewer of Officina della Birra

I remember the amber Lugano Beer that my grandfather used to drink.

Ticino in ferment

Marco Campanella, Head Chef at the Resturant “La Brezza” in Ascona

I have always wanted to learn how to make the perfect tomato sauce.

A summer breeze at the table

Oliver Zaugg, cyclist

The rocky terrain has an almost mystical beauty.

Cycling through spectacular scenery

Giovanni Kappenberger e Mattia Soldati, glaciologist and Forestry Department employee.

Glaciers are indicators of the changing climate.

The age-old lure of the peaks

Luca Goldhorn, forest tour guide

A healthy forest should be about 30% dead wood.

A family trip to the Lodano Valley

Louise, Wine-lover, lives in Ticino and Mendrisiotto keeps her memories of California alive.

I feel at home among these fragrant rows.

Ticino and California in a bottle

Murat Pelit, paralympic athlete

Sport should be part of everyone’s life.

Enthusiasm of champions

Antonia Nessi, Director of the Vincenzo Vela Museum

Stories are told through images at the museum.

A living and inclusive art space

Mark Bertogliati, curator of the Ethnographic Museum of the Muggio Valley

The valley is in full bloom.

Preserving the cultural landscape

Claudio Notari and Marco Pagani, qualified climbing instructors

Climbing is a human instinct.

Two climbing instructors high above Lake Lugano

Michael Keller, manager of the “scattered hostel” Wild Valley Hostels

I missed the sincerity of small villages.

Rekindling the valley's energy