Bellinzona is home to three of the best-preserved medieval castles in Switzerland (Castelgrande, Montebello, and Sasso Corbaro); UNESCO World Heritage Sites since the year 2000.
The Ramparts of Bellinzona connect Castelgrande to Castello di Montebello.
I was lucky with the early March weather when I climbed up on to the ramparts, just as the golden glow of the setting sun painted a beautiful picture for the handful of photographers gathered to capture the image; while a young couple gazed lovingly the other way.
The Three Castles, Defensive Wall and Ramparts make a visit to the Italian canton of Ticino's capital one of the highlights on The Grand Tour of Switzerland; a city that many tourists on their way to the towns of Locarno and Ascona, on the shores of Lago Maggiore, tend to overlook.
