Val Mara to Melide, and Gorgeous Churches in Arogno and Bissone

(This post completed and published on January 27, 2026. It took me a long time to finish because of the many beautiful pictures of the interior of the two gorgeous churches in Arogno and Bissone). 

Sunday January 11, 2026 -- After a very cold spell mid-week and a new fall of snow the day before (plus very strong winds), the weather is getting warmer and the snow will melt quickly now. Still, we were not in the mood for a walk in the snow on this Sunday (as the wind was still strong with only little sunshine), so we once again headed south for our Sunday walk and fresh air. 

This time we went south of Lugano again and into the Val Mara at the foot of Monte Generoso, which we walked out of on a hike we did down from Monte Generoso in June of 2024 (photos HERE), but this time we hiked along the west side of the valley. We started in the town of Arogno at the back of the valley, and ended up on the east side of Lake Lugano, descending to the tiny lakeside village of Bissone, and ultimately walking along the land bridge (where the railway and highway cross the lake) to Melide on the west side at the foot of the Monte San Salvatore range.

This was a new trail for us, and once again not a very long hike, and since we do a lot of hiking in this part of Switzerland in winter the landscape is always brown... but you can't beat the 10-degree weather and lots of sunshine on a mid-January day! Furthermore, one of our goals was to visit the large church in Bissone, which we had visited on a previous trip (December 2020) but they were restoring the painted ceiling and it was covered with nets at the time. I really wanted to see the ceiling, and I was not disappointed: It was truly magnificent. 

But just as impressive was the parish church in Arogno at the very start of our walk. The stucco artwork was absolutely spectacular. I say it each time: These churches are like art museums with free entrance and no crowds....and I can't take enough photos of all the details. 

After a 2-hour train trip via Lugano, we took a bus into the Mara Valley. As we head up the valley, I can see the upper trail through the forest which we will be walking later that day, on our way out of the valley  

Also from the bus I can see the little cluster of houses called Devoggio, which we also passed through later. 

View of the St. Stefan church (Chiesa di San Stefano) across the valley in Arogno, near where we got off the bus, just before its last stop below the town of Arogno. 

Beautiful San Stefano church in Arogno

We got off at the second-last stop at 11:40 and headed out to check out this beautiful church.

It's amazing that these attractive buildings house people who have died... 

We visited this church on a previous hike in September 2019, but it was worth having another look, as we were walking right past it anyway. Its current appearance is the result of several expansions that began in 1581.

Overwhelming beauty of the artwork as we enter this magnificent church. There are several side chapels on this one, each with fantastic artwork. Most of the decorations in the side chapels started in 1625.

Closer to the apse section of the church. 

A look into one of the several side chapels. 

A look to the back of the church. This is a relatively small organ for such a large church!

A few views of the wonderful ceiling artwork. 

These are just a couple of the side chapels. On this website are very many photos of all of these details, worth looking at: https://restadistucco.ch/it/opere/arogno-santo-stefano.desc

A look back at the church as we now make our way through the alleyways of Arogno. 

There are always very interesting buildings to look at. This was at a very large town square. 

Details of the alleyway that led to the town square, and that interesting building. 

Now we are at the southermost part of the town with a look back at the beautiful church.

Another roadside chapel to look at before heading out onto the trail. It is called Oratorio di San Rocco, built by a local family at the end of the 16th Century. 

Leaving Arogno at 12:10, we headed out of the valley along a paved road and then through a very storm-damaged forest down the mountain on the lake side, and descended to Bissone where we viewed another fantastic church, before crossing the land bridge and catching a train in Melide, back to Lugano at about 3:45 p.m. Not a super long walk, but we sure enjoyed the mild weather and sunshine! 

Heading out of the valley now

Across the valley we can see the summit of Monte Generoso. In June of 2024, we walked from that summit down to Arogno at the back of the valley and headed out again at that other side of the valley, through those clearings at center of this photo. 

Looking toward the back of Val Mara. 

The mountain at the back of the valley is called Sighignola, a mountain we haven't climbed up yet, but it's a plan! The border of Italy and Switzerland runs right across the top of that mountain. Here we are heading up the hill above the hamlet called Devoggio. 

Looking down at the hamlet called Devoggio, which we had seen from the bus ride heading up the valley. 

Heading to Bissone now, with another view of Monte Generososo. The smaller hill in the center is called Monte Sant'Agata, and we hiked to the top of that one in March of 2023. 

Heading up past the last house before the long forest trail over the mountain and toward the lake. Such a relaxing spot for a quiet break!

This viewpoint looking down at the south end of Lake Lugano (Capo Lago) is on the road which I had seen from the bus earlier. This is close to the highest point of our hike. This is across from a small power plant. 

We had a quick break to eat our sandwiches up here at the little Val Mara power plant, sitting on a stack of pallets because there was no bench anywhere. Not the cosiest or quaintest place for a break. (About three minutes later, as we headed into the forest, we came across a perfect bench..)

A long descent now on the east side of Lake Lugano, through a dense and very messy and destroyed forest, on a trail that was somewhat "slippery" in that it seemed to have been "raked" recently. We figured this damage was from the massive storms of August 2023. There were trees down everywhere and the forest was a mess, but at least sections of tree trunks had been sawed off to give access to the trail.

Now we finally get the first views of Bissone below on the lake, through a couple of clearings on the forest trail. The large mountain on the left is Monte San Salvatore, and far in the back are the snow-capped mountains of the Magadino near Bellinzona. 

On the West side of the Lake Lugano is the town of Melide, where we caught the train back to Lugano after walking over the land bridge. (One Autobahn, two railway tracks, and a pedestrian promenade). 

Close-up view of Melide and the lakeside promenade. At the top of the mountain is the town of Carona, where the Postbus runs through the narrowest tunnel under the church building! (Here is a photo of that --> CARONA) 

And this is a close-up view of Morcote at the very south end of the San Salvatore range. We have been there a few times as well, for example walking down from Carona (photos HERE).   

Now we get a look at the rooftops of Bissone as we start our descent at 2:15 p.m. That is the church I was particularly interested in seeing (San Carpoforo), as the last time we were there the ceiling was being restored and was covered with a net (photos HERE).

Rooftops of Bissone, and the bell-tower of the 12th-Century San Carpoforo church. 

Palm trees and pine trees, like in the Mediterranean

After crossing the highway on an elevated passerelle, we headed along a back alley on the far east side of the village (instead of the lake side), looking through several such arches or gateways into the perpendicular alleys between the blocks of houses. 

Signs at the entrances of these archways in the town walls inform us that in the Middle Ages, these city gates on the mountain side were locked at night to prevent access to wild animals.  The snake crest down this side alley was cute!

We then headed down to the lakeside across from San Carpoforo church, to "rediscover" the "Grand Tour of Switzerland" frame which features Monte San Giorgio. Last time we were here we got a better photo. (THIS ONE)

Chiesa San Carpoforo at the south end of Bissone was first mentioned in 1148 but rebuilt in the 17th century. The façade was built in two phases (1759-1784).

This is what I had especially come to see: The beautiful ceiling which was covered by a net the last time we were here (December 2020) because there were restorations in progress at the time. Simply stunning!

Front of the church at the main altar. As with the church in Arogno, there were very many side chapels here. 

Details of three of the side chapels, similar, but with so many different details!

Various views of the fantastic ceiling!

Some more specific details of all the various artwork, whether stucco, statues, painted wood panels, or simply the paintings on walls and ceilings. You could spend hours here, like in an art museum, but no entry fee and very few other people! 

And a final shot of the beautiful ceiling before leaving the church and heading out to walk along the main street parallel to the lakeshore. 

Heading back through the town now on the lakeside, we pass through the most amazing series of arcades, featuring all kinds of shops and cafés, although at this time of year not a lot were open. 

Each view through the arches was unique. 

Details on the house walls within the arches

Final look behind us before crossing the road. 

Across the street is another church, called Oratorio di San Rocco, originally late Middle Ages but transformed into a Baroque interior in 1630. 

Interior of the San Rocco Oratorio

The side chapels feature statues from the 17th Century. These looked just as intricate as the ones you find in the Louvre Museum or in Italy. 

A "fisherman" at the lakeshore! In the back is the line of buildings with the arcades in Bissone. 

The final stretch is along the lakeside promenade over the isthmus, or land bridge, which crosses the lake (highway and railway line). Lots of information on those panels there about the churches, the great artistic genius Francesco Borromini (who was born HERE in Bissone in 1599) and about the five communities of Val Mara where we had descended from (Bissone is one of them). 

A look behind us at Bissone and the mountain we had descended from.

Further to the southeast are the steep flanks of Monte Generoso. 

Directly to the north (past the highway and railway tracks) is Monte Brè, where we had been just a couple of weeks earlier. 

We were too early for the 15:46 train in Melide, so we sat here next to the boat dock for a while, enjoying the afternoon sunshine (3:20 p.m.)

Final stretch along the lakeside promenade at Melide. On this beautiful Sunday afternoon, there were a lot of people strolling here, lots of families.

Those stone pine trees are really cool. 

The sun is setting soon.... 

From here you can see the summit of Monte Generoso. Val Mara, where we started this walk, is behind this lower hill. We actually descended on the south end of this hill, and walked back to Bissone on the forest trail about 100 meters above the lake level.  

This is what our walk looks like on Google Satellite Maps. 

These are all the hikes we have done in the region around Monte Generoso and Val Mara. The border with Italy goes right over Monte Generoso. On the left, inside the border lines stretching into Lake Lugano is an Italian enclave called Campione. 

Location of Val Mara and Monte Generoso within Switzerland.