• While Lake Como draws the crowds, Lake Lugano remains a quieter, lesser-known destination. • Visitors can enjoy art, hiking, local cuisine, and scenic villages around the tranquil lake. • This article is part of "Undiscovered Europe," a series exploring overlooked travel gems.

Every year, around 1.4 million visitors flock to Lake Como's decadently glamorous and increasingly crowded shores.

But just under 40 kilometers west, a tucked-away jewel nestled along Switzerland's southernmost edge remains largely undetected.

Set under gently swaying palms and the magnificent gaze of the Alps, Lake Lugano is a glacial lake within Switzerland's only Italian-speaking canton — a subdivision similar to a US state — of Ticino. Life unfolds quietly, with atmospheric cobbled streets and a waterfro

See Full Page