Three medieval castles rising on rocky crags above the city of Bellinzona form one of the finest defensive ensembles in the Alps. Castelgrande is the oldest and most dramatic, its tall towers visible from the valley floor long before you reach the city. Castello di Montebello stands on the ridge to the east, and Castello di Sasso Corbaro crowns a separate spur above them both. Connecting walls once sealed the entire Ticino valley, blocking the main route to the Gotthard Pass.
Each castle is open to visitors, and the interiors hold museums covering the archaeology and military history of the region. The views from the towers across the valley and toward the Alps are worth the climb alone. A tourist train connects the three sites, but the walk between them — along the surviving stretches of wall — gives a better sense of the scale of the fortifications. Evenings in summer, the castle courtyards host outdoor concerts and theatre.