Ascona, often called the "Pearl of Lake Maggiore," is one of those places where time seems to pause just enough for you to truly breathe it in. Nestled on the Swiss side of the lake, this sun-soaked town dazzles visitors with its vibrant piazzas, winding alleys, and colorful facades that glow even brighter under the generous southern light. While many explore Ascona by strolling along the waterfront or slipping into its labyrinth of cobblestone streets, I decided to discover it in a slightly different way—aboard the little red sightseeing train that trundles cheerfully through town.
It turned out to be one of the most charming ways to see Ascona’s old heart, with the added delight of capturing it all through the broad, immersive eye of a wide-angle lens.
The Allure of Ascona’s Old Town
Before I even set foot on the train, the town square, Piazza Giuseppe Motta, already had me under its spell. Cafés spilled their chairs and umbrellas toward the waterfront, fishermen tended to their boats, and gelaterias lured passersby with vibrant scoops of pistachio and lemon. The buildings—painted in rich ochres, terracottas, and pastels—stood like a living painting, their shutters thrown open as though the town itself wanted to breathe in the lake breeze.
The old town is a delightful maze of stone-paved alleys, small enough to wander on foot but layered with details that make you pause at every corner: wrought-iron balconies, doorways framed by climbing ivy, frescoes tucked into arches. Riding a sightseeing train through this environment might seem almost whimsical, but in truth, it’s a brilliant way to relax and absorb the atmosphere without missing the small architectural flourishes that walking sometimes blurs together.
Boarding the Sightseeing Train
The sightseeing train itself is pure charm: painted bright red and yellow, with open carriages that make it easy to photograph as you ride. Families with children, older couples, and curious travelers like me gathered as the bell rang and the conductor welcomed us aboard.
The route circles through the town, offering not just glimpses of the lakeside but also journeys deeper into the historic quarters where streets narrow into storybook proportions. The rhythm of the train—gentle, unhurried—matches the leisurely pace of Ascona itself.
From the first turn, I had my wide-angle lens ready. On sunny days, Ascona’s colors explode, and a wide-angle lens captures both the intimacy of the alleys and the grandeur of the lake in one sweep. Shooting from the moving train added its own playful challenge: leaning slightly out (safely, of course) to frame bell towers, cobbled passages, or sudden bursts of bougainvillea against blue sky.
Capturing Light and Color with a Wide-Angle Lens
Traveling photographers know that light makes all the difference, and Ascona’s sun is golden and generous. The wide-angle lens became the perfect storytelling tool here, exaggerating the charming tilt of narrow houses, drawing the eye down sun-drenched streets, and pulling in the shimmering waters of Lake Maggiore just as a cluster of boats came into view.
The train slowed at key viewpoints, allowing me to experiment with perspectives:
The waterfront promenade: A panorama of cafés lined up like colorful toy blocks, with the curve of the lake sweeping outward. The wide lens captured both the foreground—the café tables with half-empty espresso cups—and the distant Alps beyond.
Hidden alleys: The lens emphasized how the streets seem to fold inward, narrowing into secret passageways. The distortion actually enhanced the fairytale quality of these scenes, with walls leaning closer as though whispering their centuries-old stories.
The piazza: Here, I turned the camera upward. Wide angles love dramatic skies, and the azure canopy streaked with wisps of cloud made the pastel facades shine even brighter.
The Energy of a Sunny Day
Ascona lives in rhythm with the sun. Locals walk slowly, greeting one another with warmth; shopkeepers set displays of ceramics, jewelry, and handmade crafts outside their doors; musicians strum guitars under shady trees. On the day of my ride, the old town radiated joy.
Children waved at the train as it passed, and in return, passengers waved back—strangers momentarily united in the town’s relaxed playfulness. The warmth wasn’t just in the weather; it was in the way the place seemed to invite you in.
From my seat, I watched the interplay of shadow and sunlight dance across walls, creating ever-changing patterns. These are the kinds of fleeting details that a wide-angle lens captures so well: the contrast between sunlit piazzas and shadowed arcades, between the lake’s glittering surface and the cool stone of medieval alleys.
Why Ride the Train?
You might ask: why not simply walk? Walking is certainly rewarding in Ascona, but the sightseeing train adds a layer of delight. It allows you to experience the town as a moving tableau, like flipping through the pages of a picture book. The steady motion encourages you to notice things differently—to see not just static beauty, but the way life flows through the town.
It’s also wonderfully social. You share the ride with others who, like you, are in a state of wonder. There’s laughter when the train squeezes through particularly tight lanes, collective gasps when a sudden view of the lake opens up, and smiles exchanged with people watching from café tables.
Final Thoughts: A Lensful of Memory
When I stepped off the train, I felt both relaxed and energized, as though I had absorbed not just the sights but the rhythm of Ascona itself. My camera roll was full of images that told the story of a town brimming with color and character—photos where the wide-angle lens exaggerated the joy of space, light, and form.
Ascona is a place best savored slowly, whether on foot, with a gelato in hand, or aboard its charming sightseeing train. But on a sunny day, with the old town glowing and Lake Maggiore shimmering like liquid silver, there’s something special about sitting back, letting the train guide you, and capturing it all through a lens that refuses to miss a single corner of magic.
Because sometimes the best way to see a town is not just to walk through it—but to ride, to watch, to photograph, and to let it unfold before you in all its vibrant, sunlit glory.
Camera: Fujifilm X-H2s
Lens: Fujinon several lenses
Filter: none
Location: Switzerland
I'm a freelance Filmmaker in Zurich, looking forward to meeting you here on HIVE and explore visual Art.
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