Bellinzona, Switzerland

Last Wednesday, I went on a day trip to Bellinzona, Switzerland with one of my new friends here.  She also moved here last year with her husband for his job, and does not have any kids or a current job.  And they moved here from Santa Rosa, CA!  So needless to say we are kindred spirits and do a lot of things together these days. :)  They have a car here and her husband was away on business last week, so she suggested going on a day trip.  

We decided to head south past the Alps to the Italian region, called Ticino, of Switzerland.  The Swiss travel to this area to get away from the constant cloud cover that can occur in the valleys (like where Zürich is).  Most of the precipitation falls on the other side of the Alps, so you have a better chance of finding a sunny day in Ticino than in any other region.

Bellinzona is in the northern part of Ticino and has been around since Roman times.  Bellinzona has always been an important location because of its proximity to the St. Gotthard Pass, which links Western and Central Europe with the Mediterranean.  During the Middle Ages, three castles were built to defend the area: Castelgrande, Montebello, and Sasso Corbaro.  These castles have since been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Our day began with a visit to Castelgrande, which lies in the center of town and sits on a huge piece of rock.

In the central plaza, looking up at Gastelgrande

The fortified exterior walls

Arrow slits in the wall for defense

Looking up on the hill to Montebello Castle

Castelgrande

Awesome view from the castle

Stairs that were a bit nerve-racking to walk on 

Walking to the tower up ahead

I climbed to the top of the tower, though my pictures of the view didn't turn out well

After we visited Castelgrande, we walked down to the old part of town.  We came across this fantastic Catholic cathedral, called Chiesa Collegiata dei SS Pietro e Stefano, which was built in the 16th century. We tried to peek inside, but the doors were closed.  Oh well, my low-light photography skills are lacking anyways, so there wouldn't have been great pictures.

A 16th century Catholic cathedral

Me in front of the cathedral door

We walked around more of the old town area and got some pizza for lunch at some restaurant.  I think it tasted good, but I was unsure since I was (and still am) a bit sick and couldn't taste much.  Oh well, at least it filled me up.

A view of the old town in Bellinzona

After lunch, we drove up to see Sasso Cobaro Castle.  This was the smallest of the three, so we were only there for a bit.

Castello di Sasso Cobaro

Me at Sasso Cobaro

The view from Sasso Cobaro, wouldn't it be fantastic to live here?

Looking back at Castelgrande

Our final stop was Montebello Castle, which was our favorite because it seemed to be the most intact, so there were more things to see. For example, they had working draw bridges, which were a little scary to cross since the wood did not seem very solid!

Draw bridge at Montebello

My friend, Michelle, and I at Montebello

We had a great time and I can't wait to take another day trip!