Mario Botta's "Fiore di Pietra" and a Hike on Monte Generoso

Wednesday May 15th, 2019 -- Best weather today was again in the southern part of Switzerland, the last nice day forecast here for the next few days. 

We had never been to Monte Generoso, so that was our plan for the day, with a 3-hour hike across the border into Italy. Apparently, many other people had this idea, as the cogwheel train that runs for 40 minutes up the mountain was jam packed full, and a whole group of at least 30 other people had to wait for the next run (only once per hour). Totally unexpected for a Wednesday, but well... the weather.... everyone wants to profit from a rare nice day.

The train up to Monte Generoso (the only small-gauge railway South of the Alps) was closed for a couple of years as they built the "Stone Flower", another of Swiss architect Mario Botta's unusual creations. As he put it in an interview, it grows out of the steep rock face as a natural extension of the landscape. It looks weird in the otherwise barren alpine landscape up at 1600m altitude, as do most of his creations. 

Most people come up here simply for the view and to eat something at the restaurant and to maybe walk to the look-out point. Very few continued to hike as we did. I was thrilled because for just one hour it was like being high up in the Alps, with narrow mountain trails. And the views were spectacular, the air so clear, we could see all the way to the highest peaks in the Swiss Alps (Dufour Peak) in the Monte Rosa Massif to the West, as well as to the Matterhorn. Dumb thing was, although far and wide the sun shone on all the rolling hills, there was just enough cloud to cast a circle of shade right where we were walking. And it was COLD! But hey, a chance to hike again.

View of the Monte Rosa Massif to the West on the ride up Monte Generoso. Those are the highest peaks in the Swiss Alps

The little Monte Generoso train that goes up the mountain once every hour. The ride takes 40 minutes. 

Mario Botta's "Fiore di Pietra" (Stone Flower), completed in March 2017, took two years to build. We walked first to the look-out point at the top of the peak behind it.

The new restaurant "Fiore di Pietra" as seen from above

View from Monte Generoso: Lake Lugano and the mountain on the left is Monte San Giorgio, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Zoomed view: Highest peak in the Swiss Alps (Dufour Peak) and the tip of Mount Matterhorn showing from behind what is probably the Mischabel Group

My favourite peak: Mount Finsteraarhorn, the highest peak in the Bernese Alps

For a moment I considered going up the next peak over, but it is a Via Ferrata, and there are ladders to descend on the other side. 

The rock formations were kind of cool

We did end up taking the more challenging route off the peak of Monte Generoso

Here's where our trail continues, a real mountain trail for a change, minus the snow!

In the back, the peak of Monte Generoso. We took the more challenging shortcut down, whereas those other people walked the easier trail below

Most of this landscape is in Italy

Another view of Lake Lugano and Monte San Giorgio to the West (Switzerland). This is the view from the spot where we had our picnic lunch. By now the sun was gone and a cold wind had picked up.

And the mountains in Italy to the East. 

And so exciting, the first gentians

The Italian Alps to the East

Signage is different in Italy

We've seen cows being driven to pasture, but never horses! This was a first. 

A lovely herd of horses heading out to summer pasture at the Alpe d'Orimento

Heading down the Breggia ravine southwards back to the Swiss border. Up at the arrow is where we started

Entering the Italian village of Erbonne

The small Italian village called Erbonne, right on the border before we passed back into Switzerland.

A look behind us at the village of Erbonne as we head down to the bridge. It is so nice to see the new and fresh greens of Spring here! Especially compared to the bare mountaintop and the leafless trees in the forests we descended

Crossing the border back into Switzerland

Typical Swiss-Italian trails

At our destination in the village of Scudellate. Looking South into the Muggio Valley. It is hard to believe that a bus (actually a van) comes up that road below to this and another village high up on the hillside

Village of Scudellate. Seems to me every village has a resident crane

Checking out the village of Scudellate before catching the van-bus down to Muggio.

There's the bus to come pick us up and take us back to the valley (we were the only guests). The hairpin turns are so narrow that the cars have to back up each time to make the turn

Back in Muggio, waiting for the connecting bus out of the Muggio Valley. A glimpse back up to Monte Generoso, with the "Fiore die Pietra", our starting point on the left, and Scudellate, our detination on the hillside.

Across the valley, where we have not yet been...

It took us a good three hours, probably more, to walk this. The downhill was very tiring. And we were disappointed that we missed the turnoff into the actual path and ended up following a minor path down through the forest. The map for the trails across the border are not as exact as in Switzerland.