A Hike with Relatives (Sister, Niece and Nephews) in the Leventina Valley

In August my sister came to visit (from Toronto) with a few of her kids, and we had wanted to do a spectacular hike somewhere high in the Alps, but Sunday August 21st dawned cold, foggy and rainy in the mountains, so we went for Plan B, a trip through the Gotthard Tunnel to just South of the main Alpine Range into the Leventina Valley, where the weather often is sunnier and warmer. Our hike was a relatively non-strenuous 7.5-km walk through some typical villages and chestnut forests in the Italian part of Switzerland. I'm sure all participants thought it was just great! At least it was warm...

Our visitors parked their rental car in Lavorgo and we set off on a climb up to the village of Chironico, which is a mixture of Valais-inspired wood-beam homes and the typical Ticinese Rustico Stone structures. 

This tower is called Torre Pedrino and probably dates from mid-13th century

After viewing the medieval church San Ambrogio with its frescoed interior (the church was first mentioned in literature in 1223), we headed to the ravine for a picnic lunch, and from there descended a steep path to the power plant. 

Interior of San Ambrogio, dates from mid-13th Century

Interior of San Ambrogio, dates from mid-13th Century

Parish Church San Maurizio, on the outskirts of Chironico

At the Ravine for a picnic lunch

Sister Selfie.

At the Ravine for a picnic lunch

At the power plant after a steep descent

At the power plant after a steep descent

From the Power Plant it was a long walk through chestnut forests, past another old church right in the forest (San Pellegrino, whose interior is full of mural art by a famous Italian Painer, Giovanni Battista Tarilli), past vineyards and old stone cellars, and then on to Giornico.

San Pellegrino Church in the middle of the Chestnut Forest.

Walking past the vineyards in Altirolo, heading to Giornico.

Family photo in Altirolo, near the stone cellars.

Stone Cellars built right into the rocks

Approaching Giornico.

In Giornico there are several churches of note, the first you come to is called Santa Maria del Castello because it was built on the ruins of the Castello di Santa Maria. We walked up to the ruins to get a view of the other two churches in the village below, but we ran out of time to see those. One is the "younger" parish church (first mentioned in 1210), and the other, San Nicolao, built in the later 1100's is considered the most impressive example of Lombard Romanesque architecture in Switzerland.

Santa Maria del Castello in Giornico

Jeffrey on the walls of the castle ruins. 

On the right the parish church San Michele, and on the left, the older San Nicolao.

The village of Giornico in the Leventina Valley.

From Giornico we all took the bus back to the car in Lavorgo, and while Urs and I headed home by train, the rest of the group drove OVER the Gotthard pass (too much traffic backed up at the tunnel) for a one-of-a-kind experience along the old Tremola Road.