iFM’s social dinner: Thursday, 9 June

The social dinner will begin at 19:30 at the restaurant Piccolo Vigneto (https://g.page/Piccolovigneto?share) located halfway on Monte Bré – a small mountain just outside Lugano on its east side. From there, one can enjoy a view of the city and the lake from the sunniest location in Switzerland.

How to reach the restaurant

By bus: Your registration to iFM includes a return ticket to reach the restaurant using public transport. You have to validate the ticket at the bus stop before departure. After validation, the ticket is valid for the rest of the day. There will be a group leaving from the conference venue for the restaurant at 18:50, following the route described below.

The easiest route is with bus #12. Board at stop Lugano, Palazzo Studi (see below) and get off at stop Albonago, Roccolo (9 stops, about 12 minutes with regular traffic). The restaurant is 100 meters down al Roccolo street from the bus stop.

The departure bus stop Palazzo Studi (https://goo.gl/maps/PQ5p7qKWiJZcA4tFA) is a 10-minute walk from the conference venue. From USI’s campus, cross the river (the Cassarate) to its west side, and then walk along the river (viale Cassarate) until you reach a park (Parco Ciani). The bus stop is in front of the park, on the street that goes west to east orthogonally to where you came from.

Bus #12 departs from stop Palazzo Studi at 19:17, 19:47, and 20:17. The 19:17 ride is probably the best to arrive at the restaurant on time.

On foot: The restaurant is about 2 km from the conference venue. If you feel like it and have time, you can also walk; it should take about 40 minutes at an average pace. Google Maps’ itinerary is accurate. Be aware that most of the path is uphill (you will have to climb about 200m overall) so you may have to break a sweat.

Other routes: Bus line #10 departs from Viganello, Centro north-east of the conference venue and terminates at Albonago, Paese (7 stops, about 7 minutes), which is about 500 meters from the restaurant on a mostly flat path. If you prefer to take this route, buses depart at Viganello, Centro at 18:58, 19:28, and 19:59.

There is also a cable car that departs from Cassarate (1.4 km/18 minutes on foot from the conference venue) and reaches Albonago in two stops on two different segments of the line. This is operated by a private company, and hence bus tickets are not valid here. Also, it only runs until 19:00, so it’s probably not ideal to reach the restaurant (which is, however, very close to the cable car’s Albonago stop).

Getting back to Lugano after the dinner: Your bus ticket is still valid, so the easiest way is to board bus #12 back to the city center. Buses depart from the Roccolo station next to the restaurant at 21:24, 21:54, 22:24, 22:54, and 23:54 (last bus). Depending on where your hotel is located, you may want to get off at Lugano, Palazzo Studi (12 stops, penultimate stop on the line) or even the line’s terminal Lugano, Centro (13 stops).

Walking becomes a more appealing option on the way back, as it’s all downhill. It should take about 35 minutes on foot from the restaurant to the conference venue (and nearby hotels).

Bus #10 departs from Albonago, Paese to Viganello, Centro at 21:38 and 22:08.

If you need a taxi, you can contact Taxi 24 (+41 (0)91 980 15 15 https://taxi24lugano.ch). Needless to say, it won’t be cheap. Uber does not currently operate in Lugano.

Co-located events’ social dinner: Tuesday, 7 June

The social dinner for the PhD Symposium and the IVOIRE workshop will take place at 19:30 at the pizzeria Neapolis (https://g.page/neapolis-lugano?share) located east of the city center with a nice view of the lake. There will be a group leaving on foot from the conference venue for the restaurant at 19:00, following the route described below.

The restaurant is a 18-minute, mostly flat, walk from the conference venue. For the simplest route: go south until you cross Viale Castagnola (the main street that goes along the lake); then, walk east on Viale Castagnola until it becomes Via Rivera. Neapolis is located on a terrace, one floor above street level. Google Maps suggests other internal routes that are also fine and may save you one or two minutes.

If you prefer to take a bus, there is line #2 (direction Castagnola, Capolinea) that departs from stop Lugano, Palazzo Studi. Get of the bus at stop Cassarate, Monte Brè (3 stops from departure), which is 50 meters from Neapolis. To reach the departure stop from the conference venue, see the instructions for the main conference’s social dinner (the bus stop and direction are the same, but the bus line is different!).