What the castles cost without a pass, and what you save
Bellinzona charges separately for each castle, or sells you a combined ticket, and your Swiss Travel Pass wipes out all of it. Here's what the till would ask for if you turned up without one.
| Ticket | Full price | With the Swiss Travel Pass |
|---|---|---|
| Castelgrande | CHF 15 | CHF 0 |
| Montebello | CHF 10 | CHF 0 |
| Sasso Corbaro | CHF 15 | CHF 0 |
| Fortezza Pass, all three | CHF 28 adult, CHF 18 reduced | CHF 0 |
| Fortezza Pass, family | CHF 70 for two adults and up to three children 6 to 16 | CHF 0 |
| Museums-only ticket | CHF 12 | CHF 0 |
Under 6s go free anyway, and there's a single-parent family ticket if that's you. The Fortezza Pass covers the museums, the temporary exhibitions, the Bulwark and the towers, and your travel pass covers all of that too, so you're not being handed a stripped-down version. The one thing that goes further is the CHF 30 Expo Pass, which adds the temporary exhibitions plus the Museo Villa dei Cedri, and that one you'd pay for.
Walk the three castles downhill, starting at Sasso Corbaro
The three castles sit at three different heights, and the sane way to do them is top to bottom so gravity does the work.
- Get up to Sasso Corbaro first, the highest of the three and the one with the view.
- Walk down to Montebello, 90m above the city, where the city walls begin.
- Carry on down through the old town to Castelgrande, which is right in the centre.
Doing it the other way costs you 25 minutes of climbing from Castelgrande up to Montebello, plus the rest of the hill after that. Montebello alone is only 10 minutes on foot from Piazza Collegiata, so if you've got an hour and no interest in hills, that's the one to grab. Castelgrande also has a lift from Piazza del Sole that takes seconds, which spares you the hill entirely.
Bus 4 is free with your pass and barely runs
Zurich to Bellinzona is about 2 hours, and Castelgrande is in the middle of town, so the only leg that needs thinking about is the one up to the other two.
Bus 4 is a PostAuto, which means it's covered by the Swiss Travel Pass, CHF 2.10 if you don't have one. From Piazzale Stazione it's 2 minutes to Montebello and 7 minutes to Sasso Corbaro, which sounds perfect until you look at the timetable: roughly every two hours at weekends and on holidays, and only a couple of departures a day on weekdays. Check it before you plan your morning around it, because the alternative is a steep 3km climb up to Sasso Corbaro and you'll want to have chosen that rather than had it chosen for you.
The mini-train and the shuttle are not on your pass
Two tourist services link the castles and neither one is covered, which is the annoying twist in an otherwise free day out.
- The Artù mini-train runs from the centre up to Sasso Corbaro via Montebello. Not on the pass.
- A hop-on hop-off shuttle does all three in 90 minutes, tickets on board or from the tourism office at the station. Also not on the pass.
So the two obvious ways to move between the castles cost money, and the one that's free hardly turns up. Plan on walking down and you'll be fine.
What you actually see at each of the three castles
They're not three versions of the same thing, and UNESCO lists all three together as the only castle inscription in Switzerland.
- Castelgrande: the biggest, in the middle of town, on a hill that people have lived on for over 6,000 years. Museum plus two towers.
- Montebello: 90m above the city, with an archaeological route showing finds from across Ticino, and the point where the city walls start.
- Sasso Corbaro: the highest, and the one you climb for the panorama.
At all three you can walk the ramparts and climb the towers. If you've only got time for one, take Castelgrande for the sheer amount of it and the lift. If you came for a photograph, Sasso Corbaro.
Opening dates: winter means Castelgrande only
Castelgrande is open all year, museum, both towers, courtyards and city walls. Montebello and Sasso Corbaro run 28 March to 8 November 2026, daily 10:00 to 18:00, and outside those dates only their courtyards are open. Walking the castles and the courtyards is free and possible year round, but be honest with yourself about a January visit: it's a Castelgrande visit with two scenic detours.
2026 exhibitions and the Saturday market
Two shows are on in 2026, both included in what your pass gets you.
- Ivo Soldini, paintings and sculptures, at Castelgrande, 12 June to 8 November.
- Fra Roberto tra le mura at Sasso Corbaro, 28 March to 8 November.
Separately, the Ticino market fills the centre on Saturday mornings, which is a good reason to arrive on a Saturday, and coincidentally the day bus 4 runs more than twice.
Food, picnics and dogs at the castles
Where you eat is decided by which castle you're standing in.
- Castelgrande: a restaurant, and picnicking allowed in the inner courtyard.
- Montebello: picnic tables and benches, 90m above the city.
- Sasso Corbaro: a restaurant.
A bag from the Saturday market and a bench at Montebello is the lunch worth planning for. Dogs are not allowed inside the castles at all.
Accessibility at the Bellinzona castles
All three took part in Pro Infirmis accessibility mapping. The one concrete thing is the Castelgrande lift from Piazza del Sole, which gets you into the largest of the three without touching the hill.
If you're stacking up the free days on your pass, see the rest of them on the free attractions list, compare it with Chillon Castle on Lake Geneva, and if you want a smaller, cheesier castle town next, Gruyères is the one. Rhine Falls is the other big free day out.
FAQ
Are the Bellinzona castles free with the Swiss Travel Pass?
Yes, all three. Castelgrande, Montebello and Sasso Corbaro cost you CHF 0, including the museums, the temporary exhibitions, the Bulwark and the towers. That's the CHF 28 Fortezza Pass and the CHF 12 museums-only ticket both covered.
Is the Bellinzona mini-train covered by the Swiss Travel Pass?
No. The Artù mini-train from the centre to Sasso Corbaro via Montebello isn't on the pass, and neither is the hop-on hop-off shuttle that does all three in 90 minutes. You buy those on board or at the tourism office by the station.
How do I get up to Sasso Corbaro?
Bus 4 from Piazzale Stazione takes 7 minutes and is covered by your pass, CHF 2.10 without. The catch is the timetable: about every two hours at weekends and on holidays, only a couple of times a day on weekdays. On foot it's a steep 3km climb.
Are the Bellinzona castles open in winter?
Castelgrande is open all year, museum, both towers, courtyards and walls. Montebello and Sasso Corbaro run 28 March to 8 November 2026, daily 10:00 to 18:00, and in winter only their courtyards are open.
Which Bellinzona castle should I visit if I only have time for one?
Castelgrande, if you want the most castle for the least effort: it's the largest, it's in the town centre, it has the museum and two towers, and the lift from Piazza del Sole gets you up in seconds. Pick Sasso Corbaro instead if you're there for the view.
How long is the walk between the castles?
Castelgrande up to Montebello takes 25 minutes, and Montebello is 10 minutes from Piazza Collegiata. Going downhill from Sasso Corbaro to Montebello and on to Castelgrande is the way the three are meant to be walked.
Can I take my dog to the Bellinzona castles?
No. Dogs aren't allowed inside any of the three. The picnic tables at Montebello are outdoors, which is as close as a dog gets to a day at the castles.
