Bellinzona is the town that guarded the Alps. It lies on a flat piece of the Ticino valley where the routes from the Gotthard, San Bernardino and Lukmanier passes come together, and whoever held it controlled the way between northern Europe and Italy. Three castles, Castelgrande, Montebello and Sasso Corbaro, stand on rocky hills over the old town, linked by walls, and they form a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Milanese Visconti and Sforza dukes strengthened them in the fifteenth century, before the Swiss cantons took control, and Bellinzona stayed with them ever since. The oldest, Castelgrande, rises from a rocky outcrop right in the middle of town, and you can wander its courtyards and ramparts.
Under the castles, the town has a distinctly Lombard feel, with arcades, piazzas, cafés and a Saturday market that has been drawing people from the surrounding valleys for centuries. The cooking is Ticinese, with polenta, risotto, braised meat and cheeses, and the local Merlot is dry and gentle. Italian is the language of the street, with dialect behind it.
Riding here, you are at the junction of some of the best roads in Switzerland. North lies the Gotthard and the San Bernardino, to the east Val Mesolcina, and to the west the climb toward Locarno and Lago Maggiore, while a short run south takes you over Monte Ceneri to Lugano. Roads are in excellent condition, with well-banked bends, tunnels and strict enforcement of limits. The Alpine passes are closed in winter, but the Ticino valley itself is mild, with palm trees and camellias, and spring comes early. Autumn is gentle and golden, with chestnuts falling.
Bellinzona has fuel in the town and on the approach roads, plenty of eating places, and parking near the old centre, though free spaces are scarce on market days. The motorway vignette applies to the A2 through the valley, and the road tunnels can be busy with holiday traffic at weekends in summer. Climb up to Castelgrande in the morning, when the town is quiet, have lunch in a grotto, one of those rustic stone-built restaurants with long tables, and leave time for a coffee on the piazza before riding on.