Locarno

Locarno is at the northern end of Lake Maggiore in Ticino, at the lowest altitude of any Swiss town and notable for its mild climate that supports magnolias and palm trees on the lakefront piazza. The Piazza Grande, paved with round cobblestones, becomes the outdoor screen for the Locarno Film Festival each August, one of the oldest and most prestigious international film festivals. The pilgrimage church of Madonna del Sasso on a rocky promontory above the old town is the principal landmark.