Hi everyone, I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on Bellinzona and Ascona. Would you recommend one over the other for a day trip?

Thanks for your help!

Day trip from where?

Belllinzona has 3 castles and a tiny medieval city center.
Ascona is a nice village on the shore of Lake Maggiore, close to the Brissago Islands (botanical gardens!).

There are tons of other interesting places, churches, castles, cableways and viewpoints to lakes and Alps in the area.

We will be driving from Lecco to Stresa (via Lugano and along the west coast of Lake Maggiore), so we have the option to stop wherever we like along the way! What would you recommend?

We took a day trip to Bellinzona on Oct. 1, '15 or thereabouts. We really enjoyed it. We loved the castltes, took loads of pictures, enjoyed the town center, and found it easy to navigate with our rental car.

If you're already headed to Stresa, I would think that Bellinzona would be something completely different. In addition to the beautiful castles, it was crowded and people were friendly.

Finally, I will add that I broke my rib on the first day of our trip to Switzerland and Italy this fall. I had a fairly miserable time, but when I search my memories for what I truly enjoyed, Bellinzona stands out.

Tuscanlifeedit, thanks for your endorsement of Bellinzona! It sounds great.

If you like castles and non touristy cities, visit Bellinzona.
Stop then along Lake Maggiore wherever you like. The Piazza Grande at Locarne is a very nice place to relax. Ascona and Cannobio are both scenic. You may also drive the scenic panoramic road via Ronco sopra Ascona, a charming small village with views over the Lake and nice restaurants.

I think of Ascona as a great place to stay in the area; I think of Bellinzona as a great place to visit. YMMV.

If you do stop in Belinzona, consider stopping at the relatively recently restored Santa Maria delle Grazie -- awesome!