Walking in Ticino

Lugano, Locarno and the mountains of southern Switzerland

Guide to 38 graded day walks in Ticino, Switzerland, covering Lugano, Locarno (Lake Maggiore), Bellinzona and Biasca, and Airolo and the St Gotthard Pass. Routes for all abilities, ranging from 4km to 19km, highlight the best the Ticino countryside has to offer, from villages and lush valleys, to stunning mountains and gushing waterfalls.

This guidebook describes 38 walking routes in Ticino, the Swiss canton with a Mediterranean twist. Towering snowcapped mountains and lush, narrow valleys overlook stylish lakeside resorts with palm-fringed promenades and handsome Italianate architecture. It’s not just the Italian language that sets Ticino apart: the food, sunny weather and stunning landscapes attract millions of visitors to this part of the southern Alps every year.

As for the walks, it’s the variety – as much as the fabulous scenery – that provides the draw. In this book you’ll find everything from level walks along the shores of Lakes Lugano and Maggiore, to more challenging trails through craggy, forested valleys with gushing waterfalls and ancient stone-built villages, to isolated mountain huts right at the permanent snowline. If you think you already know Switzerland, but haven’t walked in Ticino, a stunning experience awaits you – and all of the routes are easily accessible through a network of buses, trains, funiculars, cable cars and chairlifts.