Locarno

Locarno sits at 196 metres, the lowest elevation in the country, and records more sunshine hours than anywhere else in Switzerland. Combined with Lake Maggiore that produces genuinely southern conditions: palm trees, warm water into October, and outdoor sessions comfortable in months when Zurich is frozen.

The Verzasca and Maggia valleys behind the town give sharp, dramatic terrain within twenty minutes — good for climbing and for hill work, and completely different in character from the lakeside.