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Lugano

Lying in the valley between the two mountains, San Salvatore and Monte Bre, is the very Italian Swiss city of Lugano. With a mediterranean climate, the shady streets are in some cases tiled with wild flowers and climbing and colourful vines seemingly to grow where they like. This, the third largest banking centre in Switzerland is set beside a lake of the same name and is an excellent centre for the tourist. A large city rising up from the lakeside, it is well served both with rail and road communications and has on its outskirts a small international airport. Being so close to Italy, there is a large italian influence to the place especially as italian is the official language spoken by most of its inhabitants. It is wellknown that many employees live in Italy and travel to Lugano to take advantage of the higher wages and better working conditions found there. A lakeside town, the water plays a prominent part in the lives of all who live there or visit. Be it in admiring the fountains, just offshore, taking advantage of the open air swimming or fishing in the lake, the ferries that ply the lake all seem to rendevous at the Societa Navigazione del Largo di Lugano. From pottering around the nearby villages to having a whole day trip to Italy, the lake has the means to captivate all who are willing to take advantage of it. Walking the promenade from the suberb of Paradiso to the centre of Lugano waterside and beyond to the parks is very popular, particularly in the cool of the evening. The parks are a riot of colour all through the Spring and Summer and the trees with long sinewy branches hang over the lakeside to give shade during the heat of the day. Not surprisingly this area is popular with artists. Although old the city has a modern feel to it with many art museums and churches to be explored and admired. For the more adventurous there is hiking and mountain bike riding in the nearby Ticinese mountains to be enjoyed and power gliding, canyoning, rock climbing and river diving are also available. In the winter, these adventure sports change to skiing and snow-shoe walking.