Hello dear travel lovers. Probably the most magnificent view of lake Lugano unfolds from Monte San Salvatore. During my visit to the mountain I looked at the lake, compared it with the map and tried to guess where the national borders crossed, which mountains belonged to Italy and where Swiss territory began. Speaking of Italian settlements on Lake Lugano, Porlezza located on the way to Lake Como, is in my opinion a much more picture postcard place. The view of the lake stretching away with hills on your right and left is grand.

Because of so many borders dividing the lake, while traveling by bus you often cannot tell exactly which country you are in. And when shopping you realize it upon seeing whether the payment requires euros or francs. Even though the borders are completely invisible, no one will accept cash euros from you on Swiss territory. So it is useful to arrange your payment methods before the trip.

After Monte Bre it was time to enjoy the fascinating shores of the lake. I set aside two full days for this. Shortly before arriving in Lugano, I got off the bus early to go to a local attraction. But right in front of me there were already wonderful views. This is Monte San Salvatore, perhaps the most important observation deck of the whole lake. On the right is the city of Lugano itself. I on the other hand, moved to the left toward the olive grove revived by local enthusiasts, the Olive Trail. This spot was marked as quite interesting in the guidebooks.

I came across the first signpost Sentiero di Gandria. Gandria was the name of the town we were heading toward. Walking all the way to the town is not mandatory, but the trail literally stretches along the lake. The views unfolding from here were amazing, but if only you knew what the scent here was like. The plant here felt to me like a local variety of lilac. At least its color and especially its scent were very similar. And most importantly look at the views. The greatest beauty of Lake Lugano is that it is long but not wide at all. That is why all these mountains and hills are located very close and you can enjoy this. and a very pleasant detail of Swiss trips is the cars. They became the real ornaments of our walk.

We realized from the sign that we had arrived at Violet Street or Via Violetta. Perhaps the plant I encountered was not lilac but actually violet. After all there are over 500 varieties. Maybe these are Italian and Swiss violets, I do not know. But they appeared at every step. Down by the lake, those flowers were hanging down beautifully. Whether they were lilacs or violets, I still do not know. Those who understand in the comments should definitely enlighten us. I am really curious about what plant it was, but it added incredible beauty to the lake.

On our way there was a true treasure Villa Heleneum. An exact replica of the famous Petit Trianon Palace in Versailles. The villa was built in 1931 at the order of the Parisian dancer Helene Bebert. She dreamed of a cultural center and a salon where intellectuals would meet and her dream came true. Until 2015 the Museum of Cultures was housed in the halls of the villa, while today contemporary art and design exhibitions are organized twice a year. Furthermore on special occasions, the villa is rented for elite weddings. It is really an incredibly romantic place. The building was constructed in the French neoclassical style; elegant columns, strict symmetry and a magnificent staircase leading straight down to the water.

Apart from the view and the villa itself, I think what impresses everyone the most is the massive exotic garden. Thanks to the protection of the mountains and the proximity of the water, a unique microclimate has formed here, allowing a wide variety of plants to grow: a bamboo grove, pomegranates, lemons oranges, a rare collection of camellias, Chilean wine palms, roses. A true subtropical paradise has emerged. And it is completely free and open to all tourists. Wherever you look here, every spot is beautiful in its own way. Flowers, lake, mountains, an impeccably maintained area, bamboo grove, palm trees, villa. Something magnificent. I had experienced a similar feeling only at Villa Rothschild in Nice. The views were amazing there too and the villa was wonderful. As a traveler being here is simply a great pleasure. There are viewing terraces. You can go up to an upper level. Where the columns are, there was another scenic spot. It is really a wonderful place. If you come to Lugano, definitely stop by here. And we had not even reached the olive grove yet. We were merely walking through the grounds of the villa.

Right next to the villa lies that famous Olive Trail. Here again there are many signposts and information boards, so you certainly will not get lost. Our first stop on the Olive Trail is the vertical garden with paths on its terrace. And of course, olive trees greet us here. Although it must be admitted, this is not a rare thing at all. You can find plenty of olive trees both in Italy and in Switzerland. I think the real charm of this place lies in the harmony between human and nature. In my opinion it is a perfect place for your summer vacation in Lugano. If you come in summer, there will probably be many more people at the lake in general. Yet another extremely picture postcard spot.

You can continue along the path all the way to the village of Gandria. There are many viewpoints and rest areas along the way. But it was time for us to return to the city to discover Ciani Park, the main green area of Lugano. I will talk about the park in my next post. That was all I had to share for today. See you on new trips.