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Vacallo is a Swiss town bordering Chiasso. The two settlements are physically attached to one another, yet remain separate municipalities: their proposed unification was rejected in a 2007 referendum.
The extreme outskirts of Vacallo contain nothing of particular interest…

Then, along the rather steep ascent towards the centre, the buildings begin to offer the tourist a glimmer of hope…

Yet the attractive portion of the historic centre consists of very few buildings, many of which are, regrettably, abandoned.

Even the charming mountain-style streets are present in a quantity of one.

In Vacallo two churches deserve a visit: one is interesting externally…

… and the other internally (for its minimalist beauty).

Street-name plaques and house numbers are three-dimensional.

The mirrors positioned at road junctions are rectangular and dark. At first glance, they even struck me as switched-off television screens.

The letterboxes are the same as in Chiasso. Postage may be paid by SMS.

Vacallo’s postwoman drives a car with the steering wheel on the right. The reason for this phenomenon remains unknown to me.

Many cars (of various types) parked along Vacallo’s streets lack number plates. Were I a wicked person, I might suspect them to be stolen vehicles awaiting the next stage of their illegal logistical journey. But I am not so wicked.

Local public transport (buses) is very frequent: I observed them passing only minutes apart.

All litter bins possess at least one additional function beyond the basic one: either bag dispensers or ashtrays.

As in Chiasso, there are designated areas within Vacallo featuring a wide variety of containers for separate waste collection.

The generic waste bins scattered around the town are extremely simple.

Hydrant fittings are of the same model as in Chiasso, though in a different colour.

Public toilets.

Road signs have frames. The expression «general limit» remained incomprehensible to me: are there also specific limits?

The inhabitants of Vacallo do not respond — they literally chase tourists in order to be photographed.