Swiss Alps. Glacial lakes. Mediterranean climate. An Italian flavor. An international population. This is the city we call home: Lugano, Switzerland.

Surrounded by mountains and situated on its namesake lake, one of the spectacular lakes linking Switzerland and Italy, Lugano is the ideal home base for the Franklin experience: a jumping-off point for an immersive exploration of the world and its people.

The city is the cultural, recreational, financial and commercial hub of Switzerland’s southernmost, Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, the ideal melting pot of European culture combined with the traits of a small town. It is fun, sophisticated and safe, with dozens of outdoor activities around Lake Lugano, including 40 of Europe’s best mountain bike routes.

Enjoy the city center with Mediterranean-style squares and arcades, numerous parks and every variety of shops and restaurants, as well as the LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura, Lugano’s new Arts Center where visual arts, music and performing arts come together in a single venue so as to provide the best experience of art in every form. These and other renowned events attract visitors from all over Europe. As a result, French, German and English are likely to be heard on the streets, in addition to the city’s native Italian.

Lugano is the central point of departure for all of Europe. With Lugano’s rail lines and regional airport, all of Europe is within easy reach. Only an hour’s travel from Lugano is Milan, the commercial center of northern Italy — and with a few additional hours, reach Venice, Florence, Strasbourg, Nice, and Innsbruck. In one day, you can easily travel as far as Munich, Vienna, Paris and Rome, not to mention what is possible to experience and learn in the course of a weekend.