Hiking Ticino

A view from Monte Boglia

1. A panoramic ridge walk from Monte Lema to Monte Tamaro (or vice versa) is a breath-taking experience and considered to be Ticino's classics of hiking 
   
2. James Bond Goldeneye Bungee Jump. The 220m-high dam of the Verzasca Valley is not only famous for being one of the highest dams in Europe, but also because it was the setting for the opening scene of the James Bond movie Golden Eye starring Pierce Brosnan. According the global surveys, Bond's leap from the Verzasca dam is considered the best stunt in film history. And the ultimate adrenaline rush at Lago di Vogorno is also called 007 jump or GoldenEye Bungee Jump. Season: Easter - end of October every weekend, mid-July to mid-August also Wed-Sun in the afternoon. For groups every day possible, also outside the normal opening hours (April until October). Price: 1 jump p.p. CHF 255- Adults, CHF 195. (Ponte dei Salti in Lavertezza, Sonogno village 6632 Vogorno, +41 91 780 78 00)  
   
3. Three medieval castles of Bellinzona are UNESCO World Heritage Site with rich history: Castelgrande (c.590AD), Castle Montebello (1313), Castle Sasso Corbaro (1478 by Sforza family). There is La Spada nella Rocca medieval performance at Castello Montebello, which for three days reinvents the former splendour. A costume fete with sets and artists in fancy dresses, craftsmen working, nighttime open-air concerts, games, historical performances, armigers and flag-throwing shows. Sword sounds, the flash of shields and helmets, coloured costumes and flags flying in the wind. "Spada nella Rocca" is all of this, and much more. The historical event - with many guest groups - faithfully reenacts medieval life scenes.
   
4. San Giorgio - a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a fantastic view on Lugano Lake from the very top. Here is also a very nice fossil Museum, as Monte San Giorgio is one of the most important fossil deposit in the world, for the Middle Triassic, a geological period which took place between 247 and 237 millions of years ago. The fossils coming from this mountain are known for their variety and their exceptional good conservation, they have been excavated and analysed by Swiss and Italian palaeontologists from 1850.
   
5. Lake Ritom area - a tranquil highland walk through lonely area with picturesque lakes. You can take a mountain hike to the Cadlimo hut and onwards to the Oberalp Pass, over the Passo dell'Uomo to the Lukmanier Pass or over the Passo del Sole to Acquacalda. Or, you can visit Cadagno research station for Alpine biology and the famous Piora cheese-making dairy. But don’t be deceived by the tranquillity, lake Ritom offers one of the steepest funicular railways running from the Leventina to the lake. Built in 1917 by Swiss Federal Railways for the construction of the reservoir and power station, the single-cabin cableway with a maximum gradient of 87.8% has been in operation ever since 1921 and usually carries 100 people per hour to the recreation area around the mountain lakes in the Val Piora. The Ritomsee lake is just 15 minutes from the mountain station along a narrow and largely flat road. Up here, the impressive Alpine scenery and beautiful lakeland are all thanks to the geological conditions of softer rocks. The three mountain restaurants are renowned for their Ticino specialities such as Polenta e Brasato (braised beef) or Piora cheese.
   
6. Cristallina and Robièi lakes are amidst grand granite and gneiss landscapes. Very popular here is the challenging crossing of the Cristallina-Pass (2568m) into the Val Bedretto valley. There is also a nice waterfall by the Foroglio hamlet, half-way to the Val Bavona valley 
   
7. Monte Cimetta – Locarno. Have you ever thought that above Locarno there is a view point from which you can see at the same time the lowest point (Lago Maggiore) and the highest point (Dufour Peak in Monte Rosa) in Switzerland? On the summit of the mountain, 1671 meters above sea level, a viewing platform was built which overlooks the entire region of Lake Maggiore. To the east, the view stretches from the Magadino Plain to Bellinzona. To the west, the view extends over some of the most famous peaks of the Swiss Alps such as the Dufour and the Matterhorn. To the south, beyond the mountains that surround Lake Maggiore, you can see in the distance the Ligurian Apennines, located near Genoa. The best way to reach this platform is by the cable car designed by Mario Botta.
   
8. Valle Maggia - the highest jump was recorded in this valley where nature, culture, emotion and taste come together perfectly. A dense network of walking trails extends for more than 800 km starting from the foot of the valley up to the peaks that reach over 3,000 metres above sea level. Often there are paths cut into the rock, crossing spectacular stone bridges and passing through typical villages with their churches and chapels richly adorned with frescoes. All this in a landscape that is still mainly natural where the course of the Maggia river and its tributaries have over the years created tiny beaches of fine sand, wide pools and majestic waterfalls. 
   
9. Centovalle or a Hundred Valleys owes its name to the countless side valleys and streams rushing down the steep mountain flanks and forming steep gorges on both sides of the central valley. Since time immemorial, it has been an important transit region between Switzerland and Italy. The little train (Centovallina) runs for 50 kilometres around 80 viaducts and through 30 tunnels. The Centovalli is a hiking paradise. It offers untouched nature, breath-taking vistas and a dense, well-groomed network of hiking trails. Among other highlights are Dimitri Theatre and Comic museum in Verscio, Tegional museum in Intragna, Bell Tower of Intragna (65-meter high bell tower of 1775 is the highest in Ticino), Rasa (a tiny village built on a natural terrace and surrounded by wide pastures and dense woods), and Church of St. Michele in Palagnedra (dates back to c.1200, with 15th century frescoes by Antonio da Tradate) 
   

Lake Ritom in late October

Sacro Monte Madonna del Sasso in Locarno

Ticino on a Budget

• Accommodation in Como, or even a smaller town called Menaggio, especially off the season (April, May, October) could be a great money saving decision. Rates are much lower and transport connectivity is very good. Also, food in Italy is much cheaper (and tastier). Double save! Swiss people also like to shop in Como on the farmer market.
  
• Staying in mountain huts instead of Lugano, Bellinzona, and Locarno downtowns is another way to save on accommodation.
• If you need to rent a car then doing that in Como would save you a fortune. Even the Swiss do that!
• Water is drinkable, so you just need to have a bottle with you.
• Transport (bus / funicular / train). If you are good at planning then Swiss Travel Pass might be a good money saving tip. They offer unlimited commutes and half-the price fare options. Also, have a look at Ticino Tourist card (they promise to introduce something in 2017). You may find a lot of useful information about ticket passes on MySwissAlps.com.
• All hiking trails and attractions on a map you could have with these free apps: the Routes.Tips app and the official Switzerland Mobility app would cover all the bases. Save on paper books and save the environment!