Lugano is a quiet, gentle town that is nestled in the mountains and flows down to a calm, navy blue lake. I went at the end of April, and the weather was perfect. There are vibrant gardens that line the water's edge, and farther outside Lugano along the lake, you can trek through the small residential neighborhoods toward Villa Helleneum and its museum. When I went, they had an exhibit of masks and tribal items from mostly Papau New Guinea for eight Swiss Francs to see. They do accept Euros in Lugano, but Switzerland is not in the European Union, so they still use their original Swiss Franc. You may feel the need to exchange money, as the conversion in stores is a bit inflated against you. I did not take a boat trip around the lake as I was there for one day only. There are tons of shops, from simple items to souvenirs to high-end fashion labels. Keep yourself oriented on where the lake is, and you can wander through the streets without buying a map. Since it is Switzerland, Italian, German, and French in that order were more prevalent, English being used fourth most, though people spoke it well enough. I had been living in Milano for several months at that point, so I chose to speak Italian rather than use my English. It makes the trip more memorable to speak in a foreign language. Plus, when in Rome......
