Bikers enjoy the sun and cultural landscape of the Ticino, Switzerland's tropical alp region, in this photo taken in summer 1997, showing Camedo, a village near the Italian border. Palm trees puncture the Alpine panorama.
Historic villages tumble down to crystal lakes.
Ticino also suffers from the cliche of purely being the sunny balcony of Switzerland. We have the quality, precision, cleanliness, order and stability of Switzerland with the Latin flair, language, culture and charm. Millions of Germans and other Swiss throng to Ticino every year or drive through it on notoriously congested highways and mountain tunnels. But the region is relatively little known elsewhere - although there's been a recent upsurge in American and Asian visitors. Local officials hope that Milan's new Malpensa airport, about 45 minutes from Lugano, and a new generation of high-speed trains between Zurich and Italy should cut travel times and entice more people.