Walking in Ticino – Switzerland

The guidebook has walking routes in the spectacular Ticino Alps of southern Switzerland, best known for the lakeside resorts of Locarno and Lugano, which provide some of the finest uncrowded paths of all the alpine regions. The guidebook describes the valleys and villages, takes you to the finest viewpoints and suggests 75 of the best walks.

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Route 10: Airolo (1175m) – Madrano (1156m) – Pian Toi (1895m) – Piora/Lago Ritom (1852m)

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Grade: 2–3
Distance: 8km
Height gain: 739m
Time: 3h 15min

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The walk from Airolo to Lago Ritom at the entrance to Val Piora gives a lively outing. There’s a rich variety of views to enjoy as the route takes you on narrow lanes, tracks and footpaths, through pastureland and forest and visits two villages and an alp hamlet.

From the main street in Airolo follow signs for the Strada Alta. This leads you along the hillside to the neighbouring village of Valle, and across the Canaria stream to Madrano. As you top the slope into Madrano bear left on the road/track which heads into Val Canaria. Just before coming to the alp huts of Frasne a footpath heads off half-right, signposted to Buco di Ce, Piau Töi and Piora. Leave the track here and follow the path as it rises through forest, steeply at times.

Buco di Ce (1680m; 1hr) is a small alp hamlet at a junction of paths. Turn right and continue along the trail, soon climbing again in forest, and in another 40 minutes come to the buildings of Pian Töi. Views from the hillside here extend along the Leventina in one direction, and Bal Bedretto off to the west.

Continue round the hillside in an easterly direction, losing height a little among trees, and in 15 minutes you should join the narrow road which has come up from the valley via Altanco. Nearby is the upper station of the Piotta–Ritom funicular (1840m). Bear left along the road and in 20 minutes you will come to the dammed Lago Ritom at Piora (accommodation, refreshments).

For a return to Airolo take the funicular down to Piotta and a Postbus from there back to Airolo. (For walks in the Lago Ritom / Val Piora region, see Routes 13–20.)