Lugano

Lugano needs 2 days: the old town and the lakeside promenade on one, Mount San Salvatore or Mount Bré, both reached by funicular, on the other. April-September takes advantage of Switzerland's mildest climate, thanks to its location south of the Alps. It's somewhat cheaper than Zurich or Geneva. It's the largest city in Ticino, Switzerland's only Italian-speaking-majority canton, with an atmosphere and cuisine that feel more Italian than Swiss despite being barely an hour from Milan.