Bellinzona for us was a nice discovery. It is definitely not one of the most beautiful cities we visited, and yet we were captivated its peaceful atmosphere, its game of ancient and modern and the friendliness and hospitality of its people. If you are passing by, it is definitely worth a stop for at least a day.
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We start from Donato with the idea to stop before the border for the night. Along the lake Maggiore is evident that motorhomers do not have an easy life, at least those of us who do not like camping sites and avoid parking areas asking fees as they were camping grounds. We arrive at Cannobio and we follow the signs to the RV area [46.06181,8.69241], after some zig-zag we reach it, but aside from the exaggerated price (15€/day) it is impossible to find a place. We take a little stroll and not far away we find a parking area without bans [46.06052,8.67821] where we stop for the night (mind, not for vehicles over 5m long).
In the morning we pass the borders without any hitch, basically we did not even stop and got without interruption to Bellinzona. The traffic is contained, the first impression of the city very positive, but we realize quickly that it will not be easy to find parking near the center. We go to check the RV area [46.20122,9.01725] and frankly it left us wondering… it is located under a noisy bridge, it costs three times as the parking lot of the tennis club just next door, it takes only Swiss francs and only in coins, which for paying 16CHF/24h or 35CHF/48h I do not think it is the best way. The only positive thing is that tanks drainage is free 😉 Anyway, after a little searching, we spotted a perfect place to park, free for 24 hours [46.20041,9.01926] and exactly one kilometer from the center.
Do not miss the historic center, Castelgrande, going up by lift from Piazza del Sole, a stroll along the walls and a visit to the castle of Montebello to enjoy the view and see the small but cute museum. The Culture Pass ticket at 15CHF/person or 25CHF per family is a good option.
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