Another Walk on Historical Trails in the Blenio Valley

Saturday February 17, 2024 -- The only nice weather in the country on this day was in the Tessin once again, and even though we don't have a lot of options for day trips there any more (the damage in the Gotthard Base Tunnel means it takes us much longer to get there and back than previously), we did a trip again just to enjoy the sunshine and warm weather. (At times it was almost too warm!)

We went back into the Blenio Valley again, a lovely side valley in the northern section of the Canton, a valley we have walked in many times. We started in Olivone, which is the furthest community in the north before the road ascends to the Lukmanier Pass. At the end of March in 2019 we started at the same village and walked southward along the "Sentiero Basso" to Acquarossa (those photos are HERE). This time we headed up the mountainside for a bit of a higher elevation hike, before descending into the village of Dangio, which we had also passed through the previous time. 

Instead of continuing walking from there (having already done 8 km), we caught a bus to the other side of the Valley to look at a village called Ponto Valentino, which we had never been to. (That side of the valley is less interesting for us to walk on).

It was a fine and pleasant walk, although the two old chapels along the way which we had hoped to look at were locked. It turns out that the lady who manages the keys lives at the valley bottom in winter, and comes up to the mountain villages in Spring!

Heading by bus up the Blenio Valley, we pass one of the towns we had walked through on our 2019 hike, namely Acquila. This time we walked higher up on the mountainside on the right, and had a view of this town from above. 

This is the San Martino Church in Olivone at the very back of the Blenio Valley. We didn't visit it this time, as we had included it as part of our 2019 tour. The church dates mostly from the 17th Century, but the tower is from the Romanesque period of the 12th Century. (Here is a link to the photos of the interior of this church, from my 2019 Album). We started here at 10:50.

In 2019 we followed the "Sentiero Bassa" (Low Road) to Aquila, Torre, and all the way to Acquarossa. This time we headed up the hill on the "Sentiero Storico no.4" ("Historical Trail no.4") to Sallo and Pinadee. Both historical churches there were unfortunately locked. Another highlight, though was the Tibetan Bridge. 

This wasn't really a long hike for us, but sufficient on this sunny winter day. We started in Olivone and took the upper mountain trail to Val Soia, where we descended to Dangio. (The stretch from Dangio to Grumo we had done before). Originally we had meant to walk down to the Brenno River and up to Ponto Valentino, but instead we took a bus south to Acquarossa, and another bus north on the other side of the valley. 

It's lovely to see the first blossoming trees!

As we head up the hill from Olivone, we can see up the Santa Maria Valley to the west. The road passes over the Lukmanier Pass there. 

This historical building in Sallo is called "Casa Bernasconi" and dates from 1677. 

The little church (Oratorio San Bartolomeo) in Sallo was unfortunately locked. There is a date inscribed on the wall: 1668. Information from the Internet states that the frescoes inside are also from the 17th Century. It is so unfortunate that we could not go inside. 

I found this photo on the Internet from an e-magazine article about the village of Sallo. These frescoes are from the 17th Century! 

Heading south, a look back past Sallo to Olivone

The first forest flowers (liverworts). There were so many of these!

Here's the 70-m long Tibetan suspension bridge, a fairly recent build, completed in April 2022. From the years 2000 to 2017 there were several small and a couple of large landslides from the mountainside which would always block the original mule trail, so they finally decided to build this bridge to connect the mountain villages of Sallo and Pinaderio.

The 70-m long Tibetan suspension bridge over the Riasc River, completed in 2022. 

A look up at the peaks to the east as we head south

Approaching the village of Pinaderio. 

Unfortunately the Oratorio di Sant'Antonio was also locked. This one dates frm 1669. A local farmer told us that the church is locked in winter, as the lady who has the key lives in Aquila below during the winter, and up here in summer. 

Checking out the stone houses in Pinaderio

Lovely stone houses in Pinaderio. 

We later passed through a "street" of lovely houses at Cregua di Dangio, and later descended to Dangio Torre, although the nearest bus stop there is only 1 hour and 45 minutes' walk from here on the route we are taking. 

Continuing south along the hillside. 

At the highest point of our hike (Pianezz) we found a bench with a fantastic view, perfect for our picnic lunch. It was a bit cold here, though, so we didn't stay long. We got here at 12:10.

From the highest point of our hike, a look north up the Blenio Valley. 

And down below us is the community of Aquila, which we walked through on our 2019 hike along the "Sentiero Basso". 

A zoomed view of the San Vittore church in Aquila, a Baroque construction from 1730

Passing through a neat little group of houses, this place is called Cregua di Acquila

We were quite intrigued by the stone houses (cellars) built into the hillside, with their very tiny doors! The room went quite a ways into the hillside. 

10 minutes later we got to the long line of houses called Cregua di Dangio. Here there was also a cute cellar building with a very tiny door!

What a fantastic massif!

Walking down the street of houses in Cregua di Dangio. 

There were lots of flowers in the gardens here!

Looking behind us. It's a lovely sunny mountain terrace up here, and accessible by car!

I wanted a photo of the cat that was watching us, but I couldn't help getting the woman in the photo as well. It turned out to be a very nice shot!

A look down at the valley bottom before our descent to Dangio below. We ended up catching the bus on the road behind the hill on the left, instead of walking over to Ponto Valentino, which we had a look at later. 

A close-up view of the Oratorio di San Ambrogio in Dangio, a church we also visited on our 2019 hike along the Sentiero Basso. 

Before heading down the Soia Valley to Dangio, a look up into the mountains amazes us that there is a trail up here to a Swiss Alpine Hostel (Capanna Adula), 1000 meters altitude above where we are standing. (The top 600 steep meters are currently off limits due to storm damage.)

A look up-valley at Acquila, as we head down to Dangio

A look across the roof-tops of Dangio

Once we got down to the main road, we had to pass by the former Cima Norma Chocolate Factory, which we had also passed previously. Until 1968, this was the major chocolate manufacturer for Canton Ticino. (It went out of business when the larger grocery chains switched to other suppliers). 

Placards like this inform us about the history of the important locations along the trail. The chocolate factory was grounded in 1903 and employed 300 workers. The owners of the factory also financed a railway to transport goods in and out of the valley. This railway no longer exists, unfortunately.  

A look behind us at Dangio, as we head around the next hill to Torre

Last time we also passed this chapel. It was locked at the time, and still is. We didn't have a lot of luck with churches on this trip! It's called the Oratorio di Ingerio, and apparently has a lot of damage due to humidity, and needs to be restored. 

In 2019 we could not visit the San Stefano (1732) church in Torre, as the 12th Century Romanesque tower was being restored at the time. So we were sure that we could now have a look. Unfortunately for us, it was also locked! (More interior details on this WEBSITE)

We took a different trail to the main road this time, but also had to pass the "Red House" with its outside fresco from 1495. These paintings of the nursing Madonna are called "Madonna del Latte", or "Lady of the Milk". 

Goats are just so cute. 

The purple trail is the hike we did in 2019, along the Sentiero Basso. The pink trail is the one we did this day. Both times we started in Olivone. 

After catching the bus on the main road, we head south to Acquarossa, where we have to change to another bus which heads north to that village on the west side of the valley: Ponto Valentino. We had never been there and wanted to have a look. 

A close-up look at the church in Ponto Valentino. Will that one be open for a look?

Heading north again by bus to Ponto Valentino, we can see where we walked on the other side of the valley. 

The final bus stop of the bus line on this side of the valley is here right in front of the church in Ponto Valentino. We had 30 minutes to look around before the bus headed back southwards again. We got here at 14:45

This church (San Martino of Tours) was open... its main feature was the golden altar, but the organ looked out of place. The original 1600's church here was a much smaller one. It was enlarged in the 18th Century. As with so many of the churches here, the bell tower is the original Romanesque tower, renovated in 1950 due to damage from lightning. 

This must be the funeral chapel, with all its paintings of skeletons.

The paintings on the funeral chapel. 

Such a stunning backdrop of steep mountains here in the Blenio Valley. 

Walking down the main road in Ponto Valentino to a small chapel we had seen at the south end of the village when the bus came up the road. 

The sign on this old fountain reads "A fine of 5 Fr. for whomever wastes water and dirties the surroundings"

A look behind us at Ponto Valentino

This is another fun sign! "It is forbidden to race horses above the speed of a half trot. It is also forbidden to race bicycles. A fine of 5 Fr. will be levied."  Five Francs must have been a large sum back in the day when horses and bicycles were not allowed to race through the village. 

The chapel at the south end of the village was locked as well, of course. 

A look south from Ponto Valentino at the lovely Blenio Valley. I would have liked to continue walking from here, but the shadows from the western hills came quickly and we would have had to wait too long for the next bus. 

Heading back down the valley again toward Acquarossa, where we once again had to change to another bus to Biasca, which is the city at the junction of this valley and the Leventina Valley. It's now 15:22. At this point while the Gotthard Basis Tunnel is still being repaired, we can travel quite quickly only in one direction. So even though it only took us 2½ hours to get all the way back of the Blenio Valley from home, the trip back took 3½ hours. 

Location of the back of the Blenio Valley where we walked.