A couple of weeks ago, I had an opportunity to visit Switzerland for the very first time. One of my best friends, whom I met in London, got married in her home country ‐ specifically, in Bellinzona, a town in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. I was able to explore Bellinzona for a few hours, and I loved it – the views were stunning, the town is beautiful, and I even found a cute cat to pet. I also ate in a Michelin star restaurant for the first time in my life. Here’s how I spent an afternoon in Bellinzona, Switzerland.
Getting to Bellinzona
I flew from London to Milan Malpensa airport, located in the outskirts of Milan, Italy. I was picked up by my friends, and we drove to Bellinzona – the car ride took about 2 hours. Both Italy and Switzerland are in Schengen zone, which means no checks at the borders – you can just drive through the border without stopping or getting out of the car.
Bellinzona also has good train connections with other Swiss cities as well as Milan. The train journey from Milan to Bellinzona takes about 1.5 hours. Keep in mind that Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in the world, and public transport can be a bit expensive. For example, a one-way adult train ticket from Milan to Bellinzona for today (in October 2025) costs around £35.
A stroll around the town centre
I got to Bellinzona late at night and went straight to bed. In the morning, I had a chance to have a quick walk around the centre of Bellinzona before the wedding ceremony. I managed to buy a fridge magnet – I always buy them on my trips – and I got some Swiss chocolate bars in a supermarket. I also got a cappuccino in a cafe. It was delicious, but super tiny! I’m used to coffees in the UK being sold in huge cups. A cappuccino I buy in the UK lasts me quite a while. The cappuccino in Switzerland – as well as later ones in Italy – were gone in just two sips. As I expected, everything was very expensive. I live in London, a city considered expensive too, but I feel like the prices in Switzerland were almost double of what I’m used to in London.
I spotted a nice-looking building in the centre of Bellinzona, which turned out to be a church. I walked inside – the interiors were rich, full of paintings and marble (or marble imitation). It was really pretty.
Michelin Star Lunch
The wedding ceremony in the town hall was short, and my friends were officially married before noon. The official reception was taking place the following day, but we all went for a casual lunch after the town hall ceremony. Casual for a wedding, but fancy overall! The restaurant we went to – Locanda Orico da Albrici – has a Michelin star, and it was my first time eating in such a place.
The food was delicious. The starter was a pumpkin puree with shrimp – I’m not a fan of seafood and left the shrimp, but the pumpkin puree was really good. The first course was a risotto with flaked pork, and I loved it. The meat was soft and just melted in my mouth. The second course was veal with roasted baby potatoes and vegetables, and I loved it too. For dessert, we had a raspberry semifreddo (sorbet/ice cream concoction), served with fresh berries. It was divine!
Visiting The Castelgrande
After the delicious lunch, I had spare time until the evening. I decided to explore Bellinzona, starting with the first castle – Castelgrande – towering over the town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The castle is located right in the heart of the town, and there are a few ways to get to the top of the hill. I ended up walking up along a narrow, spiral road. After just a couple of minutes, I got to the castle.
I may be wrong, but it didn’t look like there was much to see indoors. I don’t think there are any furnished rooms to visit. You can, however, climb up a tower – there’s a modern, metal staircase inside. The views were spectacular, but there were bars in the windows making it a bit tricky to take pictures. From the top of the tower, you get a good view of the other two castles of Bellinzona and the nearby mountains. I really loved the views. By the way – at the entrance to the tower, there was a sign saying that entrance fees apply. I walked up the staircase expecting to walk through a ticket office at some point, but there were none. I’m not sure if the sign was old, or if I should have gone somewhere to buy a ticket.
The slopes of the hill that the castle stands on are filled with vineyards. There’s also a restaurant on site, and I assume you can probably taste local wines there.
I walked back down to the town, mainly following the same route I took to climb up. I had heard that there was also a lift from the town level to the top of the castle, and I went to look for it. It didn’t take long – the lift was near a busy plaza. The hallway leading to the lift looked interesting – it was a futuristic-looking corridor cut into the mountain. Interesting!
A walk to the second castle – Montebello
Next, I headed to the second castle, Montebello. I couldn’t figure out the way myself, but luckily Google Maps were able to help. After a short walk, I was on top of the hill with the second castle, a smaller one than Castelgrande.
Once again, there was a tiny sign on the gate saying that entrance fees apply, but there weren’t any ticket offices or staff members. I’m not sure if the signs are outdated or if maybe the charges only apply on specific days, for example during the summer. I just entered the castle through the open gate.
The views were possibly even better than the views from the first castle. I could see a panorama of Bellinzona, including Castelgrande in the middle. I was there shortly before the sunset, during golden hour, and it made the views even more impressive.
On my way back down from the hill, I saw a cute cat resting in the sunshine. He looked just like our family cat, and started purring immediately after receiving the first pets and scratches. He looked like the king of the world, chilling on top of a hill with a stunning view of a castle. So cute!
Final thoughts
I only had limited time to explore Bellinzona, but I really loved it. The town is small but charming, with impressive architecture and stunning views. Switzerland is known to be beautiful, and it truly is. On my way to Bellinzona, I had a chance to catch a glimpse of Lugano lake, and it was stunning too. I will definitely go back in the future, for a longer time than just a day, and try to explore that part of Europe a bit better.
Also see:
Alphe's Corner 