Switzerland's southernmost canton, Ticino, occupies a unique position in the Alps, a region where Swiss precision meets Italian warmth, where palm-fringed lake promenades give way to wild mountain valleys and the historic St Gotthard Pass links the Mediterranean world to the heart of Europe. Few corners of Switzerland offer such an extraordinary contrast of landscapes within easy reach of a single base.

With walks suitable for all abilities, from gentle lakeside strolls to strenuous mountain routes reaching 2600m, this Cicerone guidebook by Andrew Beattie covers 38 graded day walks across four areas, ranging from 4 to 19km (2 to 12 miles) and taking between 1 and 8 hours. Routes are paired with 1:50,000 mapping and downloadable GPX files, with refreshment information provided for every walk.

• 38 graded walks across four areas, covering Lugano, Locarno and Lake Maggiore, Bellinzona and Biasca, and Airolo and the St Gotthard, with every route fully described from easy lakeshore paths to challenging mountain routes reaching 2600m
• Lugano and Lake Lugano are covered in depth with detailed route notes for Monte San Salvatore, Monte San Giorgio, the Denti della Vecchia ridge and the famous shoreline walk from Paradiso to Gandria
• Locarno and the wilder valleys to the north, including the Centovalli, Val Verzasca and Val Lavizzara, are fully described with route notes and access information for some of the most dramatic and least-visited walking in Ticino
• The St Gotthard Pass and Airolo, at the historic crossroads of the Alps, are covered with complete high mountain route descriptions, including the circuit of the summit lakes and the remote Val Bedretto, reaching altitudes of up to 2600m
• 1:50,000 mapping and downloadable GPX files for every walk, alongside a glossary of Italian terms, notes on history, geology, plants and wildlife, and practical information on accommodation and local transport

Ticino is the Switzerland that most visitors never find, too busy rushing through on the way to somewhere else. This guidebook is the reason to slow down, step off the train at Lugano or Locarno and discover what makes this corner of the Alps genuinely special.

Walking in Ticino - Quick Facts

Area: Ticino, southern Switzerland 
Total walks: 38 
Walk distances: 4 to 19km (2 to 12 miles) 
Walk duration: 1 to 8 hours 
Difficulty: All abilities, from gentle lakeshore strolls to strenuous mountain routes; no specialist equipment required beyond walking poles and stout boots 
Maximum altitude: 2600m 
Areas covered: Lugano, Locarno and Lake Maggiore, Bellinzona and Biasca, Airolo and the St Gotthard Pass 
Walk highlights: Paradiso to Gandria shoreline walk, Monte San Salvatore, Monte San Giorgio, Denti della Vecchia ridge, Centovalli, Val Verzasca to the Verzasca Dam, Val Lavizzara, St Gotthard summit lakes circuit, Val Bedretto 
Key landmarks: Lake Lugano, Lake Maggiore, St Gotthard Pass, Val Verzasca, Bellinzona castles, Centovalli railway 
Centres: Lugano, Locarno, Bellinzona, Biasca, Airolo 
Access: Easy reach from Milan 
Mapping: 1:50,000 maps included for every walk 
Digital navigation: Downloadable GPX files included 
Best season: Late summer and early autumn are ideal; July to August is warm with occasional thunderstorms; spring and early summer are also good for lower walks 
Special features: Notes on history, geology, plants and wildlife; Italian glossary; accommodation and transport information; refreshment details for every walk

Author Highlight

"Ticino is Switzerland, to be sure, but with its Italian food and language, its warm summer weather and its stylish cities, it’s Switzerland with a decisive Mediterranean twist. Lakes Lugano and Maggiore – and the palm-fringed resorts of Lugano and Locarno – are the draw for many, but beyond these cities – as Douglas Freshfield noted – there is fabulous mountain scenery, which attracts hundreds of thousands of walkers every year.

- Andrew Beattie, author of Walking in Ticino

Overview map

Map key

Introduction

History

Ticino today

Geology and landscape

Plants and flowers

Wildlife

Getting there

Local transport and driving

Information and maps

Weather and when to visit

Accommodation

Food and drink

What to take

Walking practicalities

Safety in the mountains

Using this guide

General information

Walks from Lugano

Walk 1 Lake Lugano shoreline from Paradiso to Gandria

Walk 2 Campione d’Italia to Cantine di Gandria

Walk 3 San Salvatore to Morcote

Walk 4 Monte Caslano

Walk 5 Monte San Giorgio

Walk 6 Monte Tamaro to Monte Lema

Walk 7 Monte Boglia and the Denti della Vecchia

Walk 8 Monte Bar and the Capriasca Valley

Walk 9 Cima di Medeglia and the old Military Road

Walks from Locarno

Walk 10 Along the shore of Lake Maggiore

Walk 11 Sentiero Collina Alta and Sentiero Collina Bassa

Walk 12 Cimetta to Mergoscia via Capanna dei Monti di Lego

Walk 13 The Centovalli from Camedo to Intragna

Walk 14 The Valle del Salto

Walk 15 Along the Val Lavizzara from Fusio to Bignasco

Walk 16 Capanna Cristallina from Robiei

Walk 17 Bosco Gurin to Cimalmotto

Walk 18 Sentiero per l’Arte

Walk 19 Revöira and Ca d Dént

Walk 20 Lavertezzo to the Verzasca Dam

Walks from Bellinzona and Biasca

Walk 21 Monte Carasso, Sementina and the Ponte Tibetano

Walk 22 Capanna Ganzianella and Motto della Croce

Walk 23 The ‘Iron Route’ from Carena

Walk 24 Mornera and the Capanna Albagno

Walk 25 Camorino and the Hunger Towers

Walk 26 Capanna Brogoldone and the Santa Maria Monastery

Walk 27 Val Blenio Sentiero Storico

Walk 28 Val Blenio Strada Alta

Walk 29 Lukmanier Pass to Olivone via Passo di Gana Negra

Walks from Airolo

Walk 30 Sentiero Alta Val Bedretto

Walk 31 Circuit of lakes at the summit of the St Gotthard Pass

Walk 32 Sentiero Bassa Val Bedretto

Walk 33 Along the Val Torta to Capanna Cristallina

Walk 34 Nufenenpass and the Upper Val Bedretto

Walk 35 Strada Alta Valle Leventina (north side)

Walk 36 Sentiero Alta Valle Leventina (south side)

Walk 37 Circuit of Lago Ritom

Walk 38 Lago Tremorgio and Capanna Leit

Appendix A Route summary table

Appendix B Useful contacts

Appendix C Glossary of Italian words

Seasons

Late summer/early autumn is the best time to walk in Ticino, with the heat and crowds from high summer gone and the weather often fine and clear.

Centres

Ticino features the five main areas of lakeside resorts Lugano and Locarno; the Cantonal capital Bellinzona, and its neighbour Biasca; and Airolo, at the foot of the St Gotthard Pass.

Difficulty

Routes are graded to cover a wide range of difficulties, from level lakeshore strolls to trails that cross more challenging terrain up to an altitude of 2600m (the snowline). Apart from walking poles and a pair of stout boots, no specialist equipment is required.

Must See

Ticino's most iconic places are the two lakeside resorts of Lugano and Locarno, with their Italianate piazzas and handsome architecture, and the wilder mountain areas to the north, especially around the high passes that link the Canton with the rest of Switzerland - most notably, the St Gotthard.

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