Campione d'Italia

Campione d'Italia was founded by the Romans in the 1st century BCE as Campilonum. Later on in the late 18th century, when Ticino chose to join Switzerland, Campione chose instead to remain in Lombardy - leading to the existence of the exclave. In the 1930s, the "d'Italia" was added to the end of the town's name by Benito Mussolini, along with building an ornate gate at its entrance, to assert its Italian-ness.

Nowadays, even though the town is Italian, it has considerable integration with Switzerland: the Swiss franc (Fr.) is legal tender, the town uses the Swiss phone and mail systems, and firefighters and ambulances are also Swiss. On January 1, 2020, Campione switched from the Swiss to the Italian customs territory and thus into the European customs union. While both countries belong to the Schengen zone, there may be customs controls.

From further afield, you may want to get into Lugano, or Milan, before heading into Campione, and then travel into the exclave with public transport, as both these cities have their own airports (LUG ^IATA and MXP ^IATA). From Lugano, see below for how to get there by bus or boat; and from Milan, you can get trains run by the SBB (Schweizerische Bundesbahnen) between Milan and nearby Melide, from where you can get the 439 bus into Campione.

Campione is only about 2 km long, and 1 km wide, so walking is probably the best way to get around, especially as the majority of the town is built along the shore. However, the slopes of the mountainside that Campione is on raises to about 600 m above sea level at its highest point — although there is little to see apart from trees and mountains at the top of the exclave.

The exclave is on the edge of Lake Lugano, so seeing the lake is a large attraction of the town. Across the lake, the mountains of San Salvatore and Monte Brè can be seen to the west and north respectively.

As well as the lake, within Campione, there are a few places which are worth seeing.

• 🌍 L’oratorio di san Pietro (The Oratory of Saint Peter), Piazza Roma, 4. An ancient chapel in the middle of Campione at the former location of the town gates. (updated Jun 2019)
• 🌍 Galleria Civica (Civic Gallery). The town's former church (dedicated to Saint Zeno and built around the 8th century), turned into a gallery and exhibition space once the newer church was built in the 1960s. Now, visitors can see the old architecture, and learn more about the history of the exclave. (updated Jun 2019)
• 🌍 La chiesa Parrocchiale (Parish church). The town's current church, built in 1967, and featuring some impressive modern religious art and stained glass windows. (updated Jun 2019)
• 🌍 Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Ghirli. A church dating from at least the 9th century at the top of an impressive double staircase. The church also features old frescoes of religious events and people, which are definitely worth a look. (updated Jun 2019)
• 🌍 Arco d'Ingresso (Entrance Arch). The grand entrance archway to the exclave, which was designed by Italian architect Giovanni Muzio, who also led the construction of the current Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, Israel. (updated Jul 2019)

• 🌍 Casinò di Campione, Piazzale Milano 2, ☏ +41 91 640 1111, marketing@casinocampione.ch. Billing itself as the "largest casino in Europe", founded in 1917, the casino is the largest employer in the exclave. Gambling, poker tournaments, restaurants, and business conference rooms are available in the 9-storey building. It was designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta, who also designed the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art (Charlotte, North Carolina), and the Central Library in Dortmund, among others. (updated Jun 2019)
• 🌍 Sailing on Lake Lugano, Viale Marco da Campione 42A, ☏ +41 76 471 272 5, info@yachtclubcampione.com. The Yacht Club Campione rents out sailing and motor boats to use on the Lake without a licence. The company also offers sailing courses, and the chance to gain a nautical licence. (updated Jun 2019)
• 🌍 Boat tour on Lake Lugano, ☏ +41 91 222 11 11, info@lakelugano.ch. If you want to see more of the Lake, taking a boat tour around it is a good way of exploring. The Società Navigazione del Lago di Lugano offers boat tours, most of which start at nearby Lugano, with many stopping at Campione. Their website has more details on exact tours and timetables, but with these tours, you could visit nearby Lugano, Monte San Giorgio, and Capolago. (updated Jun 2019)
• 🌍 Lido Comunale Di Campione D'Italia, Via Matteo da Campione, ☏ +39 334 303 2348. Outdoor swimming area on the beach, with friendly staff and beautiful views over Lake Lugano. This place also serves food and drink. Around Fr. 5-7 to enter. (updated Jul 2019)

Despite being an Italian exclave, the sole legal tender in Campione is Swiss francs - the currency of Switzerland. It would be recommended to travel here with euros too, however, as they are also accepted in the exclave.

Campione doesn't have a particularly wide range of shopping opportunities, but it does feature some highlights, such as a 🌍 United Colors of Benetton and several minimarkets.

• 🌍 Da Candida, Viale Marco, 4, ☏ +41 91 649 75 41, ristorante@dacandida.ch. A Michelin star restaurant (the only one in the exclave), with fancy, homely decor. Main meals from around Fr. 25. (updated Jul 2019)
• 🌍 Grotto Rialdo, Corso Italia, ☏ +41 91 649 97 97. A restaurant with good service and good food, and an outside terrace for eating outside when the weather's good. (updated Jul 2019)
• 🌍 Sushi Gao, Piazzale Milano, 7, ☏ +41 76 759 08 88. Local sushi restaurant with an all-you-can-eat offer. (updated Jul 2019)
• 🌍 La Barchetta, Via Bonino da Campione 5, ☏ +41 91 649 50 77, fax: +41 91 649 50 78, ristorante@labarchetta.ch. Traditional local restaurant, with a large wine selection. (updated Jul 2019)

• 🌍 Café de Paris, Piazza Roma 1b, ☏ +41 91 630 67 49. A cosy establishment not far from the exclave's port. (updated Jul 2019)
• 🌍 Bar Campione, Piazza Roma 2a, ☏ +41 91 649 89 46. M-Th 08:00-16:00; F-Su 09:00-17:00. Popular local bar open until late all week. (updated Jul 2019)

With Campione being quite a small destination, there are few hotels within the exclave, but there are holiday lets, and there are some hotels just on the other side of the border. You will get a wider choice of accommodation if you stay in Lugano or Paradiso.

Telephone services in Campione are provided by Swisscom, the Swiss telephone operator - so use the +41 Swiss dialling code (although some places use the +39 Italian one).

Post can use both the Swiss postal code (CH-6911) and the Italian code (I-22060).

• Lugano - Swiss town on the other side of the eponymous lake
• Como - Italian town to the east, on the edge of another picturesque lake
• Locarno - Swiss town on the edge of Lake Maggiore
• Varese - Italian town near to, guess what, another Lake
• Milan - famous Italian city, perfect for travellers who want to get away from the lakes in this region of the Alps