Domodossola to Lugano

I had a day in Switzerland before the next flight from Zurich and also had a rail pass which allowed travel anywhere in the country.

The Michelin chef Richard and his wife Yvonne Stöckli at Alpenblick Wilderswil, where I had stayed the prior night, were very friendly and they suggested going to Lugano by train and then to Zurich. They said the train route was very beautiful and went through a small town in Italy.

I walked to the station which was not too far away and began the interesting journey.

Even though it crossed the international border from Switzerland to Italy back to Switzerland, they said the Swiss rail pass still could be used in the route.

Switzerland is a country blessed with more than its fair share of natural beauty. The lakes and mountains, the trees and clouds, I was in the midst of them, as I peered through the large glass windows of the train.

The various modes of travel were laid out, cars on highways, train and the watercraft in the Interlaken region.

At different stations, various colorful railway trains appeared, and I enjoyed checking them out.

After a while, I had crossed over to Italy and Domodossola station arrived. Along with me, many Swiss train riders alighted. Seems like the Swiss love the cheap prices on almost everything in Italy, compared to what is charged in their country.

The train station is small and cute. Getting outside, you are in a bustling city, people all around, a farmer's market, an outdoor market, in general a lot of activity.

It was a nice sunshiny day, and the main drag of the city was right there.

There were a lot of clothing stores, food, pizza, wine shops, gelato stores and tourists were everywhere.

I found a place to have a glass of wine and was happy that they gave olives and tapas for free with a glass of wine that was comparatively so much cheap to begin with.

Soon, it was time to go catch the train to Lugano. First train to use was a small narrow-gauge train that went over the mountains

On the map I could see how I had started from Wildeswill and reached Domodossola. The next three hours would be spent in going slowly over the alps to Locarno. Then a change of train and head to Lugano.

The small train had limited seats in its 3 cars. A huge group of tourists in a guided trip boarded shortly afterwards and there was no seat for me to sit. I decided to stay in the vestibule and admire the scenery for the next two hours. Some Italian families were there too, and I had a good time talking to them.

Small stations passed by, and the train stopped at a subset of them.

The mountains were beautiful and so were the small towns in the valley.

As the train chugged on its small track, the trees and mountains continued to fascinate.

The views of the many layers of mountains were pretty.

Many towns were situated at the base of the mountains.

It was a blue-sky day with some white scattered clouds.

Another city passed by with its beautiful clock tower.

The clock seemed like it was functional as well.

Another city that was pretty densely packed at the foothills was visible as the train rolled past it.

It seemed to have pretty houses.

I could see the houses with more detail for a quick moment before the view changed.

Another church appeared in the mountains.

It seemed secluded and in serene surroundings.

The train stopped at another small station and few folks left the train. I got a spot to sit.

More green grassy fields and mountains passed by.

A bigger station with a bigger waiting room was next, and the train stopped here a tad longer.

A wall on the next station had a unique marking that I could not understand.

The train went over a bridge over mountains and deep gorges with a river flowing through it.

The bridge looked epic.

We stopped at another small station which had another cute train.

The river and mountains we passed could be seen from the other side with more details. We got down at Locarno station to catch a regular Swiss train.

We were at Rivapiana, a town on Lake Maggiore, the lake shared by Switzerland and Italy.

We were in the Swiss side now, at the Giubiasco station.

Another multicolored train had stopped there, and the Alps were in the background.

After a short while, I was at my destination for the day, Lugano.

As soon as you exit the station platform, you can see the beautiful views of the city.

The homes dotting the sides of the mountains look beautiful.

The city of Lugano is situated on the Lake Lugano.

I liked the view a lot and spent a while taking pictures, of the same mountain, multiple times!

I found the lockers to keep my bag in so I could walk the town for a few hours before catching the late-night train to Zurich.

Right outside the train station was the station for a funicular that took tourists to the town. I rode it but it was a very short ride, barely a kilometer.

The town was hopping. Lots of people everywhere, beautiful weather, many high-end shops and restaurants.

There was a pathway leading to a walk right by the Lake Lugano.

Birds, boats, pretty houses and runners participating in a local run made for an interesting milieu for a tourist to take in.

Inside the town there were a couple of impromptu orchestra performances.

It was a picture-perfect day in a picturesque city.

The lake was shining with the reflected sunlight.

Fall colors on the local maples contrasted with the blue lake and green mountain.

The park next to the lake had an interesting large metallic sculpture reminding me of the bean in Chicago.

The local modern art museum had an angel sculpture trying to break free from the walls.

The runners and walkers of the athletic event being held at the moment were everywhere. Some had finished their event and walked proudly showing their medals.

The city center building was part of the downtown.

The view became more mysterious as the darkness fell.

I walked back to the main station and passed the 9th century church turned Lugano Cathedral, or the Cathedral of Saint Lawrence, which is renowned for its facade.

Finally at the train station, I saw the souvenir shops and the ubiquitous Swiss bells of different sizes and colors were there, tourists were enamored with them and buying them.

I had productively used the one unplanned day in Switzerland and enjoyed it thoroughly. Good views, interesting landscapes and food coupled with exploring the parts of this region which I did only because of the locals' recommendation was serendipitous.