Lucerne or Lugano?

Neither town has sand, and in both a swim means lawns, jetties and ladders into a lake. In Lucerne, people swim at the Lido, the old wooden lake baths and the grassy shore at Ufschötti. The water is clean and calm, but it is only warm enough for most people in high summer.

Lugano is the better place for it. The lake is a few degrees warmer, the season runs from June into early September, and the main lido at the mouth of the Cassarate has decks and pools, with more bathing spots towards Castagnola and Paradiso. In Lucerne a swim fits between excursions, while in Lugano a whole afternoon at the lido is worth planning.

Lucerne cooks Swiss comfort food: Chügelipastete in cream sauce, fondue, rösti and perch from the lake, served in guild houses and wood-panelled taverns. Many tables near the Chapel Bridge cater to coach tours, and the choice is narrow.

Lugano eats better, thanks to its Italian side. The grotti in the hills and lakeside villages serve polenta, braised meats and salumi at granite tables, with Ticino Merlot from vineyards close by, and the old town has good pastry shops. Neither town is cheap or very varied, but in Lugano a meal is part of the day's pleasure, and Italy is just across the border.

Lucerne has more to see. Its medieval Old Town has frescoed squares, the covered Chapel Bridge, the climbable towers of the Musegg Wall and the carved Lion Monument. The Rosengart Collection, the Bourbaki Panorama and Wagner's villa at Tribschen give it enough for a full two days.

Lugano is pleasant but slighter. It has the Lombard arcades around Piazza della Riforma, San Lorenzo above the lake and Luini's Passion fresco in Santa Maria degli Angioli, with its art museum split between LAC and Palazzo Reali. One unhurried day covers it, and the Hesse museum up in Montagnola is a worthwhile extra.

Both are early-to-bed towns, but the feel of an evening differs. Lucerne has pubs and wine bars by the Reuss, a small club scene around the Neustadt and students on weekends, and Fasnacht turns the whole town into a party until dawn once a year.

Lugano is about an aperitivo under the arcades, a long dinner and perhaps a lounge bar by the water, with a smart local crowd. On summer weekends the lake promenade stays lively later, but anyone wanting a real night out takes the train to Milan.

Lucerne has the grander mountains. Pilatus with its steep cogwheel railway, the ridge walks on Rigi and the open-top cable car up the Stanserhorn all rise straight from the lake. The year-round snow on Titlis is about an hour away, and winter brings skiing and sledging.

Lugano's landscape is gentler and more southern. Funiculars climb Monte Brè and San Salvatore, paths run down through chestnut woods, and the shore path leads to Gandria. The clear green rivers of the Verzasca and Maggia valleys are about an hour away, and paddleboards and kayaks are easy to hire, but the high Alps are some distance off.

Lucerne lies at the centre of the Swiss rail network. Zurich, Basel and arcaded Bern are each under an hour away, and the steamer to the Rütli meadow and Altdorf follows the William Tell story.

Lugano has a slight edge, because its trips cross a border. Milan, with The Last Supper and the Brera, is just over an hour away, Como is closer, and the castles of Bellinzona, Lake Maggiore and Bergamo's upper town are also within reach. The two towns are about two hours apart through the Gotthard, so one day trip can link them.

Lucerne is easier with children. The Swiss Museum of Transport, with its trains, planes and planetarium, fills a whole day. The Glacier Garden's mirror maze and the wildlife park at Goldau add more, and the flat riverside centre makes walking simple.

Lugano relies on the outdoors: lido slides, boat rides, funiculars and the playgrounds in Parco Ciani, plus the miniature Swiss landmarks at Melide. Its steep streets are hard work with a pushchair, and on a wet day there is little indoors to fall back on.

Lucerne is very easy to navigate. The station, the steamer piers and the edge of the Old Town are side by side on the lakefront, and most sights are a short, level walk along the Reuss.

Lugano takes more effort. The station sits high above the old town and is linked to it by a short funicular, and buses climb to the hillside districts. Both towns run on the same integrated Swiss network of boats, trains and mountain railways, so neither needs a car.

Shopping is about equal, but each town sells something different. In Lucerne it means Swiss watches, jewellery, army knives and chocolate around Schwanenplatz, mostly aimed at tour groups, with few fashion or design shops.

Lugano's Via Nassa mixes Swiss watchmakers with Italian fashion houses under its porticoes, and the old-town lanes have delicatessens and wine shops. There is a large designer outlet at Mendrisio, and for serious shopping Milan is close.

Both are among the most expensive places in Europe to visit, and neither can be done cheaply. In Lucerne, the mountain railways and cable cars that make the stay worthwhile take a large share of the budget, and lakeside supermarket picnics are the usual way to save.

Lugano has a few more ways to cut costs. Grotti and set lunches are fairer value, hotel stays usually come with free regional transport, and lunch in an Italian lakeside town on a day trip costs much less.

Lucerne is the stronger place for music. The Lucerne Festival brings leading orchestras and soloists to Jean Nouvel's lakefront hall, famous for its acoustics, which also has a year-round programme. The city theatre adds opera, and at Fasnacht Guggenmusik brass bands fill the streets.

Lugano centres on LAC, home to the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana, with drama and dance mostly in Italian. Its highlight is Estival Jazz, a series of free open-air concerts in Piazza della Riforma, but opera lovers go to La Scala in Milan.

Neither town has thermal springs, so spa time means hotel spas in both, and the difference lies in how each one helps you slow down. In Lucerne it comes from steamer afternoons and quiet lakeside evenings, and the Mario Botta mineral bath high on the Rigi offers a soak with a mountain view, though the Old Town is crowded at midday.

Lugano relaxes you through its climate and pace: coffee under the arcades, a bench in Parco Ciani among the palms, and grotto lunches that stretch into the evening. North of town, near Rivera, there is a large indoor complex with pools and saunas.