Lugano and its surroundings will surprise you with all of their natural beauties. Located in Morcote, a beautiful historic town on the shores of Lake Lugano, Parco Scherrer is one of the area’s main “must-visit” attractions.
Set in lush subtropical parkland, the fascinating garden of the Scherrer Park is the work of Arthur Scherrer, a rich, erudite textile merchant who, at the beginning of the 1930’s, dreamt of recreating a magical place inspired by his extensive travels. The park offers a bustling range of architectural and artistic works inspired by faraway lands including copies of famous buildings and generic types such as a Siamese tea house, an Egyptian temple and Greek sculptures.
A TRIP BACK IN TIME AND SPACE
In 1930, Hermann Arthur Scherrer purchased the house and a hectare of land on the hill and began to transform the slopes and terraces into a richly landscaped private botanical/ sculpture garden. Scherrer was not only concerned about recreating the garden’s fascinating vegetation. In fact, year after year he installed replicas of historic structures together with a collection of sculptures and miniature structures modeled on buildings from the Mediterranean, Asia and the Far East.
MORCOTE, THE PEARL OF CERESIO
Included in the inventory of Swiss Historic Sites, the village includes a series of medieval arcades along the lake, formerly used to shelter boats, punctuated by alleys that ascend the steep hillside which, along with a network of trails, harbours discretely sited noble residences including palazzo Paleari and the Torre del Capitano, now the Museo del Manifesto Ticinese (Ticino Poster Museum) which still retains a mullioned window and traces of frescoes. At the peak of the hillside, also well worth a visit is Santa Maria del Sasso, a Baroque church dating from the thirteenth century. The site is beautiful with a breathtaking view of the Italian gulf of Lake Ceresio, the hills of Varese and the Po Valley.
Suggestions by Ticino parks and gardens – Ticino Tourism
