River Walk along the Morobbia and the Ticino from Giubiasco to Castione

Thursday February 20, 2025 -- Here and there now a few days without fog, but very overcast, even in the Ticino, except this Thursday (Urs even swapped his days off), so we headed there for some sunshine. What was our surprise when we got to Bellinzona and couldn't see ANY of the many mountains surrounding this city because of the very hazy air! In fact, we could barely see the three fortresses which the city is famous for. (This has rarely ever been the case for the many trips we have made here).  

We had planned a riverside walk (Morobbia and Ticino Rivers) ending at the Castel Grande fortress, but there wasn’t much point in heading up to the castle (which we had visited back in 2015, but is definitely worth another visit), so we just extended our walk along the Ticino River to end further north at the train station in Castione-Arbedo, an almost 11-kilometer walk in all. As outings go, it was probably the best choice for this day: Going higher up would not have given us the views we love, and because the trees were devoid of leaves, we saw more of the rivers than we would have in summer. Also, the small footpaths along the river made the walk more interesting. (Usually I don't manage such long riverbank walks). 

It only takes us 1 hour and 40 minutes to get from home to Giubiasco, where we started our walk, so the trip isn’t a great loss for us, even if it’s not quite what we had expected.

It took us a little over 90 minutes to get from home to Giubiasco, where we started our walk at about 11:25 from the train station to a small church which we saw on the map. The church is called San Giobbe, built in 1627 and renovated in the 19th Century. 

Three of the walls were fairly plain (it looked like a simple Romanesque building), but the apse side is heavily decorated with stucco artwork. 

The frescoes depict the life of the Virgin Mary, and the large painting behind the altar depicts the Holy Trinity between two angels and is a valuable work of art by a (Swiss?) artist named Alessandro Gorla (17th Century). 

We had a peek into the small building next to the church, where I glanced a very nice ceiling with paintings, but there was currently a wake going on for a recently deceased person, so we closed the door right away and left 

In Giubiasco.

In the center of Giubiasco is another church we have visited once before (March 2021, photos HERE), and passed recently on a walk down from the mountains which we see in the background (those photos HERE). The church is called Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta. The church was built in the 12th Century, then later enlarged in the 15th Century and rebuilt in the Baroque style in the 17th Century. 

Entering the church through the pretty carved wooden main doors, from 1777. 

The frescoes on the interior were discovered during renovations in the 20th Century. They date from the 15th and 16th Centuries. 

The apse is richly covered in stucco sculptures and features a beautiful marble altar from 1793. 

The organ (built in 2008) is HUGE and takes up about 1/3rd of the back part of the building. On the right is a fresco featuring "The Last Supper". 

Checking out the various restaurants here as it was close to lunch time, but we decided to walk to the Morobbia River and look for a bench there to eat the sandwiches we had brought along. 

To the north we finally can see a bit of the mountains here. That one is called Pizzo di Claro. 

We got to the Morobbia River at noon, but it was so hazy that we could not even see the mountains at the back of the Morobbia Valley!

We found a convenient bench and ate our sandwiches here, before heading out on our walk.

From the train station in Giubiasco, we walked to the town center, then toward the Morobbia River which we followed to where it enters the Ticino River. The rest of the walk was along the Ticino river, past the castles in Bellinzona, to the train station in Castione-Arbedo. In all it was 11 kilometers, starting at 11:30 and getting to Castione at shortly after 3 p.m. 

Following a trail along the Morobbia River. 

Along the way we saw this sign that reads "Morobbia River Trail"; it is probably used mostly by locals. 

Up river we can now see the mountains at the back of the Morobbia Valley. We have done a couple of hikes there in 2016 (those photos are HERE and HERE.)

We had to cross under the railway line to get to the Ticino River. 

Heading west toward the Ticino River. 

Another look up the Morobbia Valley

This is where the Morobbia River enters the Ticino River. That interesting bridge behind Urs reflected blue and yellow onto the river!

This is where the Morobbia River enters the Ticino River. 

Now we follow the river northwards for seven kilometers (Although originally the idea was leave the river at the level of the Castel Grande Fortress). 

The National Trail no.7: Via Gottardo runs parallel to the river as well, but on a dam just slightly to the east of here. Although that trail gives a better view of the castles, this smaller footpath through a park we found out later was called the "Parco Fluviale Saleggi-Boschetti"--a renaturation project by the city of Bellinzona--was more interesting. 

Along the way we passed several bridges spanning the Ticino River. This one leads to the community of Monte Carasso, where the Sementina River enters the Ticino. (Upriver along the Sementina is the fabulous Tibetan Bridge which we crossed a couple of times. Some of the photos are HERE. We also did a large loop hike higher on that mountain back in March of 2019, from where we got a look at the Bellinzona castles from above. Photos HERE). 

We passed through a section of the park with many very pretty birch trees. 

Up ahead is another large bridge crossing the river, the main motor-vehicle bridge from Bellinzona to Monte Carasso. All along this trail we remarked that we could see more of the river at this time of year, when the trees are leafless, than we would have in summer!

This is the north end of the "Saleggi-Boschetti Riverside Park" renaturation project, with another cool bridge crossing the river. To the north is the summit of Pizzo di Claro. 

This was the information placard we saw at the north end of the park, which informed us that the entire trail we had just walked from the Morobbia River was a riverside renaturization project, starting in 2020, with additional sections planned for 2025. 

A really cool bridge!

At some point we left the smaller footpath and climbed up to the dam trail, for a view of the three fortresses which are the features of the city which make it a UNESCO heritage site. The large one in the front is Castel Grande, on the left you can make out the Castello di Montebello, and higher up on the mountain is the Castello di Sasso Corbaro. (We visited all of these castles in 2015, photos are HERE). 

Looking back behind us at the dam trail which we are now walking on. 

This trail is part of two National Trails: "No.7: Via Gottardo" and "No.2: Trans-Swiss Trail". To the south, this riverside trail is alled "Magadino Trail" (Magadino is the valley basin between here and Lake Maggiore), and to the north where we are headed along the "Riviera Trail", another hour to go to the train station in Castione. ("Riviera" is the valley between here and Biasca) 

Heading north along the dam trail next to the Ticino River. 

Directly to the east we study that mountain, wondering if we walked across that flank. We determined that it was across this mountain flank which we walked in March of 2021 when we visited the mountain villages up there, after also that first visit of the Santa Maria Assunta church in Giubiasco. (Photos HERE)

The summit of Pizzo di Claro comes into view again. We are, once again, in awe that we have walked up there, having taken a cable car about two-thirds up the mountain and spending a night in a hostel (at the right arrow) before continuing over the ridge to the Calanca Valley (left arrow) on the next day (those photos are HERE). 

Another look behind us. 

To the left of the walking trail was a very large off-leash dog park, fortunately separated from the walking trail by a fence. It was interesting to watch all the people with their many dogs walking there. 

A short detour (unintentionally) down to the river in Arbedo, and a view of the Castello di Montebello above Bellinzona to the south. 

Across the river we see the bell-tower of a church in the village of Gorduno, a place we have not yet visited, so an option for a future trip (although there are not a lot of hiking trails on that side of the river, except way up onto the mountain!)

Close-up of the village of Gorduno across the Ticino River. 

Just north of a small stream coming down from the Valle d'Arbedo, we head away from the vehicle road for a short stretch through the forest near the Moesa Delta. (Moesa is the large river flowing down from the San Bernardino Pass through the Mesocco Valley to enter the Ticino River here). 

The train passes us from Bellinzona heading north to the Gotthard Tunnel, as we get a nice look into the Mesocco Valley. 

Final stretch now as we cross the Moesa River (which flows into the Ticino River here) just before reaching the Castione-Arbedo train station (where we just missed the 15:05 train back to Bellinzona, and had to wait 30 minutes for the next train home from there. (Side Note: In September of 2024, I did a walk on my own coming down the Mesocco Valley along this river, and crossed the bridge here at the time as well. Those photos are HERE).  

What our walk looked like on Google Satellite Maps. 

These are all the hikes we have done in the region around Bellinzona. 

This is a photo from our March 2019 hike (photos HERE) when we walked high up on mountain above Monte Carasso. Down below we can see the stretch of the Ticino River at Arbedo, where the Moesa River enters the Ticino River from the Mesocco Valley. 

Also from our March 2019 walk on the mountain across from Bellinzona, we could see both the Montebello and Castel Grande Castles from above. 

Hillside above Bellinzona with views of the Three Fortresses

Wednesday December 18, 2024 -- That one nice day in the north yesterday was the only nice weather for a while now, so it's back to the Ticino again. 

We decided on a mountain hike again, as another hike along the river would have been too boring. We started with a bus ride into the Valle Morobbia above the town of Giubiasco, getting out in the village of Paudo before the bus continues toward the back of the valley. From there we walked via the "Ghost Village" of Prada back down to Giubiasco. (Back in March of 2021 we started another hike in Paudo, but kept higher up via Monti di Ravecchia before descending to Bellinzona--those photos are HERE. We had more sunshine on that day!)

The trail was cleaner than we'd expected, so a good descent on a path we had only "partly" walked before, but we knew we were taking a risk on this one as it was definitely on the shadowy side of the mountain. By the time we got to where we should have had sun, the sky became overcast. In total, it was quite a short walk, just over two hours (with the last 20 minutes through the city), and we ended up rushing to catch the train, as usual. 

In retrospect, we probably should have done another riverside walk, as there were plenty of other places with much more sunshine. Because we were walking on the eastern side of the valley, we started as late as possible, leaving Giubiasco at 11:50 (with a 7-minute delay) so that we could start our hike at about 12:15, as the sun was so very low behind the mountains. But here's a reminder to myself: Do not ride public buses at around noon on Wednesdays on a school day, as Wednesdays are only half-days and all the noisy kids ride home at that time!

Waiting for the bus in Giubiasco Piazza at about noon (it takes less than two hours to get here, but we came earlier and had a coffee in Bellinzona, hoping for more sunshine than in the North).  The starting point of our hike in Paudo is at the arrow on the right, just above the shadow line (more sun by the time we got there). We descended via the arrow on the left. The church is called "Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta", which we viewed inside on our March 2021 hike from Paudo to Monti di Ravecchia

A look across the Magadino Plain over the city of Giubiasco, in the direction of Locarno to the west, as we head up the mountain into the Morobbia Valley. The shadows are still long and dark on this side of the valley, at past noon.  

The peak across the valley is called Gaggio, and the deep ravine (Valle di Sementina) is spanned by the famous Carasc Tibetan bridge. We have been on that hillside numerous times, and for this sunny day, we might have been smarter to stay in the flat valley or on the west side!

In the far distance are the mountains at the border of Italy.

We got to Paudo at about 12:20, and were happy about the sunshine!

First thing we did was find a place to have our picnic lunch. This was a kind of outdoor church, with a view, and a place to sit. 

After eating our sandwiches, we started on our hike, heading up higher first, where there was more sunshine. (Original plan was to walk downhill in the Morobbia Valley on the left, but that was really in the shadow....). 

We started on our hike in Paudo at 12:40, and walked northwards, then down the mountain back to the train station in Giubiasco, which we reached in time for the 15:39 train for the 90-minute trip home. This was a short hike for us, but at least we didn't have to travel long. 

A view from Paudo down to the Ticino River in the Magadino Plain. You can even see Lago Maggiore from here. (The city of Locarno is at the north of that lake). 

As it turns out, we were in shadow for most of our walk in the end anyway. Here we are heading north along the mountainside. But it is a beautiful view into the Riviera Valley to the north, toward Biasca. At the far back, the Blenio Valley branches to the right. 

Heading down the road now toward the forest trail. 

In March of 2021 we also passed this site on our way from Paudo to Monti di Ravecchia, higher up on the mountainside. We tried to take the same photo as last time! (HERE, it was much colder at that time!)

On our last hike past here, we were also impressed at the size of that chestnut tree. 

On our last hike past this house, we headed up to Monti di Ravecchia, and from there further to the north, before descending to Bellinzona. This time we are heading straight down to Prada, and via Scarpapè to Giubiasco. 

At least the forest trail was cleaned of leaves which made walking comfortable, even though we weren't in the sunshine. And it wasn't cold. 

At this point, one can head uphill to Monti di Ravecchia (which is what we did in March 2021), but this time we are headed down the mountain to the left. Exactly here is the shadow/sunshine border!

Heading down the mountain. Until the junction to Monti di Ravecchia, the trail was cleaned. But here the forest was left to its own, mostly. 

Even with the trail covered with leaves, it wasn't difficult to walk, and we rather enjoyed it. 

Finally, some sunshine!

The beech forest looks really pretty here!

Once in a while we pass an abandoned stone building in the forest. 

A long stretch before reaching the "ghost village" of Prada, the trail was paved with stones and stone steps. 

First glimpse of the little church (San Girolamo) in Prada. 

The little church here, documented since the Middle Ages, has already been renovated (1981?) but unfortunately not open to have a look inside. 

The information panel at the site explains that this mountain settlement of Prada was probably already populated in the 13th Century, but has been abandoned since the 17th Century, for reasons unknown.  

In April of 2019 we did a loop hike to this "Ghost Village" (starting at the Castello di Sasso Corbaro just above Bellinzona), and at that time we approached the settlement from the north side. It looked much better without all the construction equipment. But apparently renovation work has been going on since 2021 to prevent further deterioration of this historical site. 

A walk around the little church, before a coffee break at one of the picnic tables 

At 2:15 p.m. we started on the final part of our descent to the train station in Giubiasco, still another 90 minutes from here. We really wanted to catch the 15:39 train, so this would involve some very quick walking!

We didn't need to cross the bridge, as the water level in the stream was low enough to jump over!

The chain handhold wasn't really necessary, but the trail is interesting. 

More HUGE chestnut trees!

Between the bare branches we could see the first of the three Bellinzona castles. This one is called "Castello di Sasso Corbaro", which is where we started our hike in April 2019 when we hiked up to Prada the first time.

By the time we got here to Scarpapè we should have been able to enjoy sunshine, but by now the sky had become overcast!

What a cozy-looking place!

Here is another old stone church in the forest. It is called "Madonna degli Angeli", and of course it was locked. We followed a really cool "unofficial" path directly down to valley bottom from here. (The alternative was to continue along the paved road, which also would have taken longer). 

These free-roaming goats are always fun to cross paths with. 

From here we are descending directly to the outskirts of Giubiasco below, via some cliffs called "Sasso Grande" (= Large Rock)

In a bend in our trail down to Giubiasco was this great look-out point where we could see across the entire city of Bellinzona to the other two castles, and up the Riviera Valley. The peak at the back is called "Pizzo di Claro".  (= Claro's Peak)

A closer look at the other two of Bellinzona's three castles: "Castel Grande" on the left, and "Castello di Montebello on the right". The three castles are part of one of Switzerland's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The fortresses guarded this valley between Italy and the North since the 4th Century. 

A close-up view of Castello di Montebello...

.... and a close-up view of Castel Grande

We were loving this "unofficial" trail down to the valley bottom!

Finally down at valley bottom. We had to pass through the outskirts of Giubiasco, which was mainly a residential area. It was 3:15 p.m. when we got here, with another 25 minutes to walk to the train station, and the train was leaving at 15:39! As usual, we made it to the station with just a couple of minutes to spare (and the train was running late anyway). 

Passing the church of "Santa Maria Assunta" at the main piazza in Giubiasco. Had we had more time (we didn't want to skip the 15:39 train as the sun was just setting and I didn't want to wait around), we would have gone inside again. Here is a link to a collage of the indoor photos from my March 2021 album --> PHOTO HERE. 

Here are all the hikes we have now done on the mountainside above Bellizona and along the entrance of Valle Morobbia. The hike we did this day is the light pink line, from Paudo to Giubiasco via Prada. The first time we visited all three castles was in 2013 (the magenta line, no blog album yet). 

Location of Bellinzona within Switzerland