Locarno's local mountain is called Cimetta, and its highest point (1670m), is reachable by funicular, cable car and lastly a chair lift.... in normal years it also snows up here, but this year there is only a little snow and ice left on the North side of the hills from an early October snow.
We quickly changed our original plans to climb the higher mountain behind it, for fear of finding ourselves on icy trails (plus the wind was really cold up here), and decided to stay on the sunny side walking along the flank to a little gathering of buildings called Monti di Lego before heading down the mountain to Brione above Locarno. Amazingly, it's almost like spring here, so balmy, and the japanese cherries are blossoming.
As soon as spring really rolls around though, we are going up again, up the higher mountain....
First we take the funicular from near Locarno train station to Orselina, then a cable car to Cardada, then a chair lift to Cimetta. |
The beautiful Madonna del Sasso (Madonna of the Rock) Church in Orselina. From here we continue by cable car. |
Below is Cardada, we are on the way to Cimetta on the Chair Lift. |
View from Cardada-Cimetta, top photo is to the West, bottom photo to the South. |
Below left is the Maggia Delta in Locarno, and this is Lago Maggiore |
Below is Alpe Cardada, a restaurant and hostel. From there we continue to Monti di Lego. |
Along the way are a couple of other groupings of Rustico homes. |
Arriving at the clearing that is called Monti di Lego. |
Chapel at Monti di Lego |
At Monti di Lego. The view across the Maggia Delta is wonderful. |
Chapel at Monti di Lego |
Building with Lego at Monti di Lego! (Lego in Italian means to join together) |
It was so peaceful and balmy here, we didn't want to leave. |
Descending through the forests, we pass a couple of mountain hamlets. |
Most of the 700m descent is through the Ticino Beech and Chestnut forests. |
This interesting boulder along the historical trail is one of the most important rock carvings discovered in the entire Alps, with its 224 carved crosses. Experts are not quite certain about its meaning, probably a way to claim the area as Christian territory.
Behind me the Magadino Plain |
Arriving in Brione above Locarno. |
Beautiful stone houses and flowering trees (January 4th!) here in the Ticino. |
Beautiful houses and flowering trees (January 4th!) here in the Ticino. |
In Brione above Locarno, where we can catch a bus back to the train station. |
Interesting sculpture in Brione. |
View across Locarno and the Maggia Delta from Brione. |
Our 12-km, 3.5-hour hike from Cardada Cimetta (1670m) to Brione (430) via Monti di Lego |
These are all the hikes we have done in this area in the past 3 1/2 years! |
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