Hiking over the "Golden Hill" (Collina d'Oro) near Lugano

Wednesday November 20, 2024 -- With the threat of snow down to the lowlands, there was only nice weather in the Ticino this day, so even though we knew there would be cold north winds blowing there, we went anyway to do an excursion into the sunshine. We monitored the forecast wind speeds, and found that the least winds were expected further south, so we headed once again to the Lugano area, where we had been just five days earlier. We had planned out a 2½-hour walk through mainly forested sections in the Malcantone region at the foot of Monte Lema, but.......

.....there were technical difficulties on the train line to Lugano, and we arrived with 11 minutes delay in that city, and watched as our connecting train left the station just as we were arriving. So a bit of studying of the train schedules and we decided that after a wait of only 30 minutes, we could travel to the start of another hike we'd had in mind, a stretch we had never done before, namely over the hill called Collina d'Oro (The Golden Hill) just to the west of the Monte San Salvatore Range. 

This turned out to be an excellent alternative, as there were also forested sections, and best of all, a fabulous look-out point where we could see far into the south into Italy on the other side of Lake Lugano, as well as otherwise in all directions. The hike was easy and even though at times the wind was cold, we had lots of sunshine. As usual, there were chapels and churches to visit along the way, and for fans of poetry and literature, this is where the German-born novelist Hermann Hesse (author of Steppenwolf and Siddharta) lived from the age of 42 to his death at 85 (in 1962).

After getting to Lugano 11 minutes late with the train and having missed our connection, we changed plans and took a bus ride along the east side of Monte San Salvatore, rounding that range at Morcote on the south side, and heading north again. Here at the customs bus stop in Figino (you can take a boat from here to Italy, that is why the customs...) we got out and headed north to ultimately walk up that hill ahead. 

From the road, we look across Lake Lugano to the hills in Italy. 

Lakeside houses with the typical palm trees below the road. 

Right in the center of the photo, the hills are in Switzerland, as is Monte Caslano on the right, whereas the hills on the left are in Italy. 

There was this little chapel on the side of the road, shortly after we started walking, so we had a look inside.

Making sure the door is closed properly! (Large iron lock)

At 11:30 we were ready for our uphill climb. Agra and Montagnola are two villages on our planned walk, but the first item on the list with the symbol of the "Lookout Point" was an unexpected surprise, and only a 30-minute walk from here. "Bosco" = Forest, so we are headed into the Vasina Forest. 

At about 11:15 we got off the bus on the west side of Monte San Salvatore range (having ridden the bus from Melide around the southern point of that mountain range), and just south of the Collina d'Oro, which we are going to walk across, heading north. At 2:50 p.m. we got to the train station near the little lake and having just missed a train by five minutes, had to wait for 10 minutes in the cold wind, for the next train to Lugano. 

For 30 minutes we walked uphill on easy forest paths, with lots of steps, and it was almost too warm here as the mountainside sheltered us from the wind. 

Our view to the west as we climbed up the mountainside, to Monte Caslano and the town of Caslano. (We have also done a few hikes over there). 

A steep interesting section just before the look-out point. 

Perfect! A lovely spot with two benches and fantastic views, where we could eat our sandwiches, as it was now noon! (We stayed here for 15 minutes until a family with two small children showed up).

It defintely was a great look-out point. The town in the bay on the right is called Lavena (in Italy) where there is a very narrow strait in the lake, leading then to Ponte Tresa, which is a town half in Switzerland and half in Italy. On the left are the mountains of Italy. 

On the north side of Monte Caslano are the Swiss towns in the Malcantone region of Switzerland. At the back on the right is Monte Lema, a long range which takes about 5 hours to cross from cable cable car station to cable car station. 

On the very south side of Monte Caslano, the lake narrows significantly, and you can almost touch Italy (on the left). We spent a night here once (March 2017), on the right side (north) of the strait, and walked along the path you can see below, to get to the train station in Caslano (photos HERE). 

A close-up look at the Malcantone region in the very western part of this southern part of Switzerland. Monte Lema is the highest peak to the left, accessed by cable-car (although no longer running for the season). The little church on the hill is called Santa Maria, and we were up there in November 2022, and walked down through those residential areas to Magliaso on the lake (photos HERE). 

The church of Santa Maria across this small arm of Lake Lugano is one we hiked to in November of 2022. (Unfortunately it was locked and we could not see the frescoes inside. We found out at the time that this was Hermann Hesse's favourite church). 

Beautiful panorama view from Caslano on the right, past Monte Caslano, Lavena and the strait to Ponte Tresa, the hills in Italy, and back to the south end of Monte San Salvatore range. 

The bench where we sat to enjoy the view for 15 minutes, and eat our sandwiches. We left when a young couple with two small children arrived, as they then made themselves comfortable with their own picnic lunch. 

We are now headed through the forest from the right toward that large building, which is an exclusive resort and spa called Roncone. 

Lovely forest paths. It's nice that the trees here still have some of their leaves, and the forests still have autum colours.

We walked for most of the section along the eastern side of the "Golden Hill", with a view of the San Salvatore range, where we had also walked many times. Most recently we started near that village below the summit of San Salvatore (Carabbia), and walk up to the crest, all along it to the right and descended to Morcote (photos HERE). Beyond the San Salvatore Ridge is another, higher peak called Sighignola, which forms the boundary of Switzerland with Italy to the east. 

More lovely forest trails (below us here was the parking lot to the resort). 

Below us, what looks like it could be a vineyard with terraces. 

We then entered a little village called Agra. At the north end of the village is a church with a very tall bell-tower, which you can just see from here. 

More palm trees and a Mediterranean flair. In the back is Monte San Salvatore. 

The bell tower of St.Thomas Church in Agra (San Tommaso)

After visiting the church, we will head to Bigogno and then Montagnola. 

Heading up to the St.Thomas Church, which was first mentioned in documents of 1298, but has its current form from probably 1779 (a date on the facade). There was a group of Italian-speaking hikers looking at the church, and they asked me to take a group photo of them in front of the church! We ran into them again two more times on our walk. 

Altar inside St.Thomas church. For a change, there was no balcony with an organ on the opposite side, i.e. above the entrance door. 

Another wonderfully painted ceiling. 

View to the south from the "terrace" of the church. You can see all the way to Lake Lugano. 

To the east, another view of Monte San Salvatore and Monte Sighignola

Slightly to the northeast we see Monte Brè and Monte Boglia just east of Lugano. Back in January 2020 we did a great hike from Brè (behind Monte Brè) to the summit of Monte Boglia. (Photos HERE)

The next little hamlet was called Bigogno, with this little roadside chapel. 

There is a walking-tour dedicated to Hermann Hesse here, with 11 panels printed with texts which he wrote about his time on this mountain. (The panels are all located at his favourite places). 

As we reached Montagnola, we get a view to the west to the town of Agno at the north end of this arm of Lake Lugano. It was this small range that we had originally planned to walk over, so our Plan B was nearby!

This cool tower is part of the building called Casa Camuzzi in Montagnola, where Herman Hesse lived for the last 12 years of his life. 

A neat house in the center of Montagnola. 

The Hermann Hesse Museum. (Not something we were interested in). 

This is the lower section of Casa Camuzzi, the entrance to six apartments in the house. 

As we continue on our walk, a look back at Casa Camuzzi. 

A look over the roofs of Lugano, with Monte Brè and Monte Boglia on the left The mountains in the center back are in Italy, as the border between the two countries is just past Monte Brè across the lake. 

A look down a side road in Montagnola

This looks like it might have once been a factory building. The date above the door reads 1611.

What a fun paint-job on this house. It turns out that this is an "American School". 

We then continued on to the Sant'Abbondio church in the community of Gentilino. The Italian group of hikers were in the church at the time (They passed us along the way, right at the Hermann Hesse museum).

Inside of the lovely Sant'Abbondio church in Gentilino. The church, first mentioned in 1372, has much earlier origins. In 1570 there was a commission to build a new church with the materials of the old one, and from 1632 on, the building was expanded to the west to take on its current appearance. 

The organ side of the church. Usually, there is a large organ on a balcony above the main door, across from the altar. 

Various details of the inside of the Sant'Abbondio church. 

This was the coolest spiral staircase to the balcony where the organ was, so of course I had to go up! The large "picture" behind glass on the left was actually a tapestry, made with the tiniest stitches. What a lot of work that would have been!

View of the altar area from the balcony

A final look back at the bell tower of the Sant'Abbondio church. The tower was separate from the church building, and the dates on a panel on the tower read 1570/1863, indicating that the tower originally was built in 1570, and the top part with the dome was added in 1863. 

A 15-minute walk from the church down to the train station at the Lago di Muzzano (Lake Muzzano) where we had to wait 10 minutes in the cold wind for the next train to Lugano. 

15:00 train to Lugano, only a 5-minute ride from here. 

This is what our hike over the Collina d'Oro looks like on Google Satellite Maps. 

A nice view over Lake Muzzano as our train heads to Lugano. 

Well-known sight at the Lugano train station of Monte Brè and the bell tower of the large cathedral. We had to wait 25 minutes for the next train home (3:30 p.m.), but were home at just after 5 p.m. 

All the hikes we have done in the region of Lugano and Monte San Salvatore. 

On Thursday evening (November 21) it snowed all night all over the country, and even Lugano got snow. This is a webcam shot of Collina d'Oro on Friday morning. 

Location of Collina d'Oro within Switzerland.