Lake Lugano

The Sottoceneri ('Under the Ceneri'; Ticinese: Sotascender) is the part of the Swiss canton of Ticino that lies to the south of the Monte Ceneri Pass through the Lugano Prealps. It includes the Swiss shore of Lake Lugano, and the cities and towns of Lugano, Mendrisio and Chiasso.The Sottoceneri is not a half-canton with formally defined boundaries, but roughly maps to the districts of Lugano and Mendrisio. The remainder of the canton is described as the Sopraceneri ('Above the Ceneri'), and includes the valley of the Ticino river and the towns of Bellinzona, Biasca, Riviera and Locarno.Whilst the Sottoceneri comprises 432 square kilometres (167 sq mi), or only about 15% of the land area of the canton, it contains 189,123 people, or 57% of the cantonal population (2008). It is therefore characterised by a markedly higher population density and level of economic activity, when compared to the Sopraceneri.

Capo San Martino is a locality in the municipality of Lugano, Switzerland, situated on the eastern side of Monte San Salvatore, along the cantonal road that connects Lugano with Melide. As the name suggests, Capo San Martino ("Cape of Saint Martin") is a natural cliff overlooking Lake Lugano. Historically, the locality of Capo San Martino was also known as Forca di San Martino ("Saint Martin's Gallows"), because capital punishments by hanging were executed there. The last hanging took place in 1804.Until 1861, Capo San Martino was in Italian territory, as it belonged to Campione d'Italia. In 1863, Capo San Martino became a hamlet of Pazzallo, then still an independent municipality in the district of Lugano.During the 19th century, a lime furnace operated from Capo San Martino, along the lake shore. This furnace was just one among several others in Caslano, Melide, Castagnola, Pazzallo, Cimadera, and Melano, which exploited the abundant deposits of limestone of the Sottoceneri region for the production of lime.

Caprino is a village on the southern shore of Lake Lugano in the Swiss canton of Ticino, to the east of the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia and below the summit of Sighignola. Some 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi) east of Caprino village is Cantine di Caprino, a smaller settlement. Politically both form part of the Castagnola-Cassarate quarter of the city of Lugano, although until 1972 Castagnola-Cassarate was an independent municipality under the name Castagnola.Caprino has no direct road connection with rest of the city of Lugano, or indeed the bulk of its quarter of Castagnola-Cassarate, which lie on the other side of Lake Lugano. An indirect road connection can be made via Arogno, Maroggia and the Melide causeway, but by this route Castagnola is some 21 kilometres (13 mi) distant, compared to under 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) across the lake. Cantine di Caprino has no road access, although it is linked to Caprino village by a footpath.Boats of the Società Navigazione del Lago di Lugano (SNL) provide several crossings a day to central Lugano. Boats call at San Rocco landing stage in Caprino village and at Cantine di Caprino. Water taxis are also available.

The Casinò di Campione is one of Italy's oldest Casinos, as well as Europe’s largest casino and the largest employer in the municipality of Campione d'Italia, an Italian exclave within Switzerland's Canton of Ticino, on the shores of Lake Lugano. The casino was founded in 1917 as a site to gather information from foreign diplomats during the First World War. It was owned by the Italian government, and operated by the municipality. The income from the casino was sufficient for the operation of Campione without the imposition of taxes, or obtaining of other revenue.The casino was declared bankrupt on 27 July 2018 and as of January 2019 it was closed; on 26 January 2022 it was reopened after three years of inactivity.

Campione d'Italia (Comasco: Campiùn, pronounced [kãˈp(j)ũː]) is a comune of the Province of Como in the Lombardy region of Italy and an enclave surrounded by the Swiss canton of Ticino (it is also an exclave). At its closest, the enclave is less than one kilometre (0.6 mi) from the rest of Italy, but the intervening mountainous terrain requires a journey by road through the Swiss village of Bissone of over 14 km (9 mi) to reach the nearest Italian town, Lanzo d'Intelvi, and over 28 km (17 mi) to reach the city of Como.

Paradiso is a municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It lies on the shore of Lake Lugano and, although administratively independent of the city of Lugano, it is surrounded on all other sides by that city.

The Cassarate is a river of the Swiss canton of Ticino. It rises in the upper part of the Val Colla, on the slopes of Monte Gazzirola and the San Lucio Pass. It flows into Lake Lugano at Lugano. On its way downstream, the river flows through the Val Colla valley before reaching the city centre of Lugano.Historically, the lower reaches of the Cassarate river formed the boundary between the communities of Lugano (to the west) and Cassarate (to the east), but both communities now form part of the city.

The Monte San Salvatore (912 m) is a mountain in the Lepontine Alps above Lake Lugano and the city of Lugano in Switzerland. The Monte San Salvatore funicular links the city with the summit of the mountain. The village on top of its peaks, Carona, is a popular destination to enjoy views over Lake Lugano and to walk through the exotic plants and flowers of Parco San Grato.

The Monte San Salvatore funicular, or Funicolare Monte San Salvatore, is a funicular railway in the city of Lugano in the Swiss canton of Ticino. The line links a lower station in the Lugano suburb of Paradiso with an upper station at the summit of the Monte San Salvatore. The top yields a 360° panorama with views of the city, Lake Lugano, Monte Generoso and the Italian enclave of Campione.The line was built in 1890, and originally used an Abt rack rail for braking. It was rebuilt in 1926, when the two-axle cars were replaced by four-axle cars capable of carrying 70 passengers each, and the Abt rail removed. The cars were again replaced in 1957. In 2001, the line was extensively modernised, with new engine, gearbox, brakes and control system, and the 1957-built cars were given a new modern style body. The line has an unusual configuration of two separate single-track sections, with passengers transferring between cars at an intermediate station in Pazzallo. Each section has a single car, but there is only one engine and machine room which is located at Pazzallo, and the two cars counterbalance each other. The two cars are similar in design, but are not identical, being adapted to the different gradients of the two sections.Just after leaving its lower terminal, the funicular crosses above Lugano-Paradiso railway station on a bridge. This station is some 350 metres (1,150 ft) walk to the south of the lower terminal. Urban bus routes 1 and 2 of the Trasporti Pubblici Luganesi (TPL) serve a stop some 150 metres (490 ft) to the north of the terminal at Paradiso Gerreta. The funicular is owned and operated by Funicolare Lugano-Paradiso-Monte San Salvatore SA. The Monte San Salvatore funicular is one of three operational funiculars within the Lugano area. The other two are the Monte Brè funicular, which ascends Monte Brè on the opposite side of the city, and the Lugano Città–Stazione funicular, which links the city centre with the railway station.

Lugano-Paradiso railway station (Italian: Stazione di Lugano-Paradiso) is a railway station in the municipality of Paradiso in the Swiss canton of Ticino. The station is on the Gotthard railway of the Swiss Federal Railways, between Lugano and Chiasso. The station opened in 1945 and was renovated in 2018.

Castagnola-Cassarate is a quarter of the city of Lugano, in the Swiss canton of Ticino. Until 1972, it was an independent municipality under the name Castagnola.Castagnola-Cassarate includes the waterfront on the north side of Lake Lugano from the outfall of the Cassarate River in the west, continuing under Monte Brè to a border with Gandria in the east. It also includes waterfront areas on the opposite, southern, side of Lake Lugano, reaching up to the border with Italy at the summit of Sighignola. The villages and settlements of Caprino, Cassarate, Castagnola, Cavallino, Ruvigliana and Suvigliana are all included. It has an area of 297 hectares (730 acres) and, in 2011, it had a population of 6,167.The municipality of Castagnola had 157 inhabitants in 1591, which increased to 214 in 1801, 419 in 1850, 1,060 in 1900, 2,926 in 1950, 4,430 in 1970, and 5,509 in 1991.

Castagnola is a village on the northern shore of Lake Lugano, below the mountain of Monte Brè, in the Swiss canton of Ticino. Politically the village forms part of the Castagnola-Cassarate quarter of the city of Lugano, although until 1972 Castagnola-Cassarate was an independent municipality under the name Castagnola.Castagnola was first recorded in 1335 as Castigniola.Amongst its notable residents is the artist Angela Lyn. and Latvian poet couple Rainis and Aspazija, who lived here from 1905–20. Carlo Cattaneo, Italian writer and philosopher, died here in 1869.