San Vittore to Castione along the lower Mesolcina Valley

Tuesday September 10, 2024 -- As of September 2nd of this year, the passenger trains are once again running regularly through the Gotthard Base Tunnel (after being mostly out of commission due to massive damage on the railway tracks which happened in August 2023), and so we can be down in Bellinzona in warm weather once again in just 90 minutes from home!

As the weather has now turned quite cold in the North with lots of snow expected even at lower elevations as of Thursday, Ticino in the south is still experiencing temperatures in the high 20's. As this Tuesday was another beautiful day there, I planned a hike on my own again to take advantage of being able to get there quickly.

Near Bellinzona is a side valley called the Mesolcina (or Misox) Valley, most of which is actually in Canton Graubünden, although it is very much like being in Canton Ticino as Italian is spoken there. Back in November 2021 (photos HERE) we did a hike from another side valley called Val Calanca, crossing over into the Mesolcina and ending at the village of San Vittore, which at that time was almost in the shadow of valley bottom at 4 p.m. This is where I decided to start on my solo hike this day, hiking back up into the mountains above San Vittore, and heading out of the Mesolcina Valley to Lumino, ending with a walk along the Moesa River to Castione at the exit of the valley (now back in Canton Ticino). 

It was a two-hour trip to my starting point at San Vittore (where I spent an hour looking at a couple of significant historical churches), and a 90-minute trip back home. Nice to be in the sunshine for a walk this day, but going up the mountain, I really felt the heat!

Starting point in San Vittore at 10:15, my first goal is to head to the main church, which we did not visit last time (our trail at the time did not pass by here). This building is a museum. 

Frescoes on the outside of the Church of "Santi Vittore e Giovanni Battista"

This church is the main church of the Calanca and Mesolcina Valleys, built in 1219, restored from 1983 to 1990, and definitely worth visiting. I spent an hour here in San Vittore looking at this church and the smaller chapel of San Lucio, plus a detour to the tower before starting on my hike. 

The beautiful interior of the Collegiate Church in San Vittore

The beautiful interior of the Collegiate Church in San Vittore

The main altar has silver busts of bishops

I always photograph the organs, most of which are stunning works

Details of the inside of the Church of Saints Vittore and Giovanni Battista, especially some very nice side altars

Chiesa di Santi Vittore e Giovanni Battista

It's always nice to see palm trees in this region

South side of the church with the mountains in the back, where we descended from when we did the hike from the Calanca Valley in November 2021

From the main church, I walked back to the western end of the village, to photograph the other chapel (Capella San Lucio) with the tower ruins behind it. Last time we were here, this chapel was locked, so I headed to the other side to check on it again.... 

... and I was very lucky that the chapel was unlocked and I could see the inside. Very pretty frescoes again, and a steep wooden staircase which I climbed up into the tower area, where I could photograph the chapel insides from above. The chapel dates from 8th to 9th Century, and along with the church of S.Carpoforo in the town of Mesocco, is the oldest church building in the Mesolcina Valley. 

After visiting the churches in San Vittore, I started my hike at 11 a.m., and got to the train station at Castione at 3:15 p.m.

Last time we were here we also walked up to the tower (Torre di Pala), hoping to get access to the interior and the upper platform, but there was no access. I went up there again this day, but there was still no access. 

On the trail up to the tower, I encountered this little guy with so many feet!

Even though they have built a roof over the top of this tower ruins, which seems to indicate one should be able to access the top platform, there is no access. the tower is built on a steep boulder, and this door is locked. The door on the south side is missing the stairs. 

The Torre di Pala was assumed to have been built toward the end of the 8th Century, and was the residence of members of the Sax Family, feudal masters of the valley. 

View across the town of San Vittore up the Mesolcina Valley from near the tower

A zoomed view of the Church of St.Victor and John the Baptist, the most important church building in the valley. 

Here's where my trail started up the mountain, behind that bench, and with a couple of unobtrusive wooden signs. Without my GPS and map, I would have missed this!

I started my climb at 11:30, and had to ascend 300 meters through to forest, mostly along this steep stone stairway. Stairways make climbing easier, but it was very hot by this time, even in the partial shade of the forest. 

Through a clearing in the forest I can see a bit of the valley bottom. These stairs were great!

Despite the heat, I enjoyed this climb. At about the halfway mark I reached a stream (Sgravina) where I was glad to cool off. 

Later the trail got a bit tricky as it was still covered with last autumn's leaves, sometimes narrow, and with a steep incline on the valley side. 

At the highest point of my hike, I get this nice view over the southern part of the Mesolcina Valley (San Vittore below, and Roveredo in the back). From Roveredo, the valley bends and becomes a north/south valley

I was amused at the sign at this junction... the sign for the direction I had just come from (San Vittore) reads "Scala Longa", which means "Long Ladder", which explains a lot about the long ascent on the stone steps! From here the trail descends again to Monticello (or Monzel) and Lumino. 

On the way downhill again, there was a large clearing with a single house where I had hoped to stop for my picnic lunch, but it was entirely surrounded by a fence. (Shortly afterwards, the trail reached a paved road, and I found a log in the shade to sit on, near a water trough to fill up with cold water!)

At 1:15 p.m. I reached another clearing (and large vineyard, on this sunny side of the hill) called "Dro Bass de Bass"

Someone up here does some nice wooden sculptures!

Another view toward Roveredo from across this lovely vineyard!

This section of forest used to be a chestnut grove, as evidenced by the large old chestnut trees

Ah, a bridge! Always happy to cross bridges!

There was even a chain hand-rail here, totally not necessary

A typical pool formed by waterfalls and rivers in these steep hillsides. The river comes down from a very steep valley called Val Maiòo 

The hollow remains of another old chestnut tree

Just before reaching valley bottom, you pass through a community called Monticello (or Monzel). The tree in the back is an olive tree, but the other one is a "rare" pomegranate tree! (I think this is only the second one we have seen on our travels).

Pomegranates!

A view over the rooftops of Monticello... with the lovely palm trees. A veritable Mediterranean-style climate!

Always interesting buildings along the way. 

A look back at the church in Monticello. It was locked, which is a shame, as this kind of building usually has interesting frescoes on the inside. (I should have noted its name, as I could not locate this on Internet Maps later). 

There is an entire mountain hamlet on the other side of this peak, accessed by cable car from Lumino

At 2 p.m. I reached the cable-car station (on the right) and the small chapel in Lumino (with the fancy name of "Oratorio della Madonna della Salute o di Bertè") which unfortunately was also locked. But that wooden sculpture looks very much like the ones I saw in the clearing higher up on the mountain!

Unfortunately this church was locked. We were here twice before and also rode the cable car up to Monti Savoru, from where we once walked down to Claro on the other side (photos HERE)

A little further down now and along the main road is the parish church of Lumino, namely San Mamete, built in 1530 at the site of an earlier 1237 church. 

Interior of the St.Mamete church

Particularly pretty were these two side altars. 

From Lumino I make my way now down to the Moesa River, to continue walking along it out of the valley. I pass just to the south of the St. Mamete church. 

A look up the Mesolcina Valley as I cross the freeway.

And a look down the valley as I cross the Moesa River. 

On the south side of the river is this interesting little grotto (restaurant that serves local products) with a large set of picnic tables under shady trees on the right. (We might have stopped here for a drink if Urs had been along). Of most interest for me were those two ladies at the end who have a dog at their feet, although everywhere were signs that no dogs were allowed...

No dogs allowed??

The road along the south side of the Moesa River. It was pleasant to walk here, as it was mostly in the shade of the forest until I reached the outskirts of the town of Arbedo.

Bridge over the Moesa River from Arbedo to Castione. (I had to cross here to get to the train station). Someone is enjoying the shade under the bridge!

Crossing the bridge over the River Moesa, for the final 1/2 kilometer to the train station. (The parallel valley here -- Bellinzona to the south, heading to Biasca to the north -- is known as the Riviera). It looks like you can swim in the river! The famous Tibetan hanging bridge of Carasc is in the large valley on the south of that mountain

These are all the hikes we have done in the region of the Calanca Valley and the southern end of the Mesolcina Valley. You can see where the Canton Border goes through Lumino and the crest of Pizzo di Claro. So I started in Canton Graubünden, and ended in Canton Ticino.

First I had to take an urban train from Castione back to Bellinzona, and from here (view up the Riviera to the Claro Monastery on the hillside below Pizzo di Claro) a fast train heading north again through the Gotthard Base Tunnel, to be home in about 90 minutes!

Location of San Vittore and Lumino within Switzerland. 

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