Paradiso: Outdoor Activities, Lake Views and Culture

Paradiso offers a range of options to help you plan your trip: exercise on a fitness trail, sports facilities, views of Lake Ceresio and cultural history. You can tailor your stay to suit your interests, whether you prefer outdoor activities, taking in the scenery or discovering historical details.

Outdoor Activities and Sports

The Vita-Parcours on Via Guidino is 1.6 kilometres long, with an elevation difference of 80 metres. It has 15 stations with permanently installed equipment and explanatory signs for physical exercises suitable for all age groups. The trail starts in Parco di Via Guidino, in a wooded setting at the foot of Monte San Salvatore; views of Lake Ceresio can be enjoyed from the trail.

If you would rather exercise at a single facility than along a route, the municipal outdoor fitness park on the Riva Paradiso lakeside promenade offers an alternative. It covers around 250 square metres and is free to use. The Ex Rickenbach recreation park, meanwhile, has a multi-purpose artificial turf field for football and volleyball. A playground, footpaths, benches, a fountain and a table tennis table complete the facilities.

There is also a sports facility on Via alla Sguancia, with opportunities for skating, basketball and table tennis. Each venue has a different focus, from the Vita-Parcours with its exercise stations to the fitness park, playing fields and other sports facilities.

Lake Views and Monte San Salvatore

Parco di Guidino covers more than 13,000 square metres at the foot of Monte San Salvatore. From there, views extend over Lake Ceresio, the gulf and the surrounding valleys. The park can be reached on foot or by private vehicle. As current trail conditions may change, it is best to check them before your visit.

Monte San Salvatore offers 360-degree views: south across the lake and west towards the high Alpine peaks. The funicular to the mountain departs from Lugano-Paradiso. The San Salvatore–Paradiso hike passes through the forest on foot to Pazzallo, where the funicular has an intermediate station. The route then goes via Paradiso station down to Paradiso.

The summit area includes a nature park with botanical trails, a museum and a permanent exhibition on minerals and fossils. There is also a restaurant at the summit with a large panoramic terrace, a self-service terrace and picnic facilities. Alongside the views, you can choose from nature trails, exhibitions and several places to take a break on the mountain.

By the Lake

Lido Piscina Conca d’Oro is right by the lake and has a small beach. Its facilities include diving boards at heights of 1.5 and 3 metres above the lake. Another distinctive landmark in Paradiso is a water jet that creates a cascade about 50 metres high. It is illuminated in the evening by six halogen spotlights; the lighting schedule may vary.

Culture and History

The Oratorio della Geretta in Paradiso is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and was built in 1709. The choir contains an 18th-century fresco depicting the Holy Trinity, created by the brothers Giuseppe Antonio Maria and Giovanni Antonio Torricelli. The two surviving supporting columns of the former portico are thought to date from the 15th or 16th century; they are among the historic monuments of the Canton of Ticino.

Casa del Castello in Paradiso is also classified as a cultural asset. The exhibits at the San Salvatore Museum include religious objects, minerals and displays about lightning. Along with the Oratorio and the historic columns, the museum offers another way to explore the area’s cultural history.

Discover more destinations: Barbengo, Caslano, Melano, Sessa, Vernate Ti, Vico Morcote, Vezia, Origlio

For the main travel overview: Lugano.