Does any one have any information about visiting Bellinzona Castlegrande? I see it from the highway when I drive down to Italy from the Zurich area and it looks great (it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site). But I'm having trouble locating further info on whether visitors are allowed and, if so, when visiting times might be. Any one been out there?

there are three castles at Bellinzona and you can certainly go into the grounds of the lowest of the three.

http://switzerland.isyours.com/e/gui...ellinzona.html

Click on "The Town"....

The second one, Castello di Montebello is also open to the public. You can take a postauto bus from the station.

Some photos: http://www.pbase.com/nksyoon/bellinzona_july_2003

We were there just a couple of weekends ago, Bellinzona and the castles are very nice.

Instead of taking the bus up to Castello di Montebello, you can take a pleasant 15 minute walk from the train station. Turn left outside the station and walk until you get to a square called Piazza Collegiata, with a large church that has a grand staircase called Collegiata dei SS Pietro e Stefano. Turn left up the small street on the far side of the church (the right-hand side when facing the front of the church), where you should find the yellow diamonds that signal all Swiss walking trails. Follow the yellow diamonds up to Castello Montebello (there are quite a few steps, but not too many - my wife had no problem even with a bad knee). You can walk around the grounds for free, or pay 4 CHF to look at their museum.

As Lob said, you can also get into the grounds of Castelgrande for free, just take the free lift/elevator up there from Piazza del Sole in the middle of town.

Apparently, the top castle, Castello di Sasso Corbaro, doesn't really have any grounds, but still has a museum that you can pay to visit. However, we never made it up there so you'll have to let us know how it is if you get there.