Giant Chestnut trees in the Maggia Valley

Sunday April 1st:  Easter Sunday hike.... we took a friend with us to the Ticino (my astute uncle recently mentioned we might as well just live there in the winter months) because again, that's where the weather was best. Also there is so much snow in the mountains this year, that this is the only place we can really do mountain hikes.

This time it was a hike from Verscio in the Pedemonte over the hill and into the Maggia Valley. We have done several hikes in this area, but wanted to show it to our friend, who doesn't get down this way a lot.

First a hike up to the Oratorio Sant'Anna for a splendid view over the Maggia Delta at Locarno, then a lunch of home-made porcini mushrooom risotto (disappointingly small portions) at the just-opened-for-the-season Grotto da Rosy, then through the quaint hamlets of Streccia and Dunzio, and then down the very steep and rocky hillside back to the Maggia River. On the way we learned about the Giant Chestnuts, a designation that a chestnut tree gets if its circumference is more than 7m. In Ticino there are 300 such trees, and three of those are along this trail. (Also, these trees are 350-700 years old).

This hike mapped out at just over 9 km and three hours, but it took us four hours.... probably because we had to watch our steps carefully on the steep descent, so typical for this area.

But we were all thrilled because the weather was so great, another successful outing when others are stuck in the rain.

Our hike starts in Verscio, after a short ride in the Centovalli train from Locarno

It's looking like springtime in Verscio

So many palm trees and stone bridges in this area. This is the entrance to the Riei Valley

From below, a zoomed view of the Oratorio above, which is our first destination

It was a warm hike up the hill on this side of the valley (in the back: Intragna and the entrance to the Centovalli)

Finally arrived at the Oratorio Sant'Anna. Took us 40 minutes to hike up from the valley bottom

View toward the Maggia Delta at Locarno (Lago Maggiore)

Looking down on Verscio

From the Oratorio we hiked up the Riei Valley, then over into the Maggia Valley. Between Streccia and Dunzio are the "Giant Chestnut Trees"

Stone is the main building material here

Everywhere stone walls depict property borders, or just make a path look pretty

Stone is the main building material here

At Grotto da Rosy, the owners were just opening for the season, but were still able to make us some Risotto.

All these stone walls and houses are constructed without mortar.

Streccia, the highest point of our tour. From here the trail descends into the Maggia Valley

This is one of three GIANT Chestnut trees in this area. This one is 7.2 m in circumference, and somewhere between 350 and 700 years old.

Some very nice (large!) houses in Dunzio, built in the ticinese style of stone without mortar.

Signs of springtime!

The trail passes right through the arch of the little chapel (Oratorio del Carmelo).

Oratorio del Carmelo high above the Maggia River

These bridges are called Roman bridges, because of the building style

This is the suspension bridge across the Maggia River at Ronchini, where we got back on the bus

The beautiful and wild Maggia Valley

We have done loads of hikes in this area

From Brunnen to Vitznau along the Waldstätter Trail

March 30, 2018 -- On this Good Friday holiday there weren't many places around the country with decent weather except locally, so we stayed close to home and walked the lovely Waldstätter Trail from Brunnen to Vitznau on the South flank of Mount Rigi on Lake Lucerne. (In German, Lake Lucerne is called the Vierwaldstättersee, which actually translates to Lake of Four Cantons because it borders four of our Cantons). We had some sun and wind and toward the end the rain clouds pulled in, but in all a trail as we love it, up and down through forests and meadows with views of lakes and mountains and sheep and goats (no cows out yet) and lots and lots of birds of prey.

And always something interesting to learn: For the first time we saw a very rare breed of goat called the Copperneck goat (Kupferhalsziege), which is related to the Valais Blackneck goat but which was never recognized as its own breed, so any animals with such colouring showing up among herds of Blacknecks had been disposed of in the last decades. Since 2006 (when only 28 such goats were found) the Swiss organization ProSpecieRara has been working hard to rescue this rarest of Swiss breeds, which as it turns out are descended from the same forefathers as the Valais Blacknecks (Copper Goats, not because of their colouring but because they can be traced back to the Copper Age) 

Our  hike starts on the Lake Road near Brunnen, at this little castle (Seeschlössli)

We decided to start the "Waldstätter Trail" at this point instead of in Brunnen, to save 3 km walking along the road. From here the trail went steep up the mountainside.

10-km hike, took us 3 hours 45 mins walking time because there were two sets of steep ascents.

View East from our first picnic spot

Picnic spot with super view. A well-earned rest after an approx. 300-m ascent.

And to the West, the mighty Mount Pilatus

At the halfway mark, we descend into the town of Gersau, before ascending on the other side again.

Interesting item we found in Gersau: Very old boulders transported here from various parts of Switzerland (including a 275 million-year-old rock found while excavating for the Gotthard Base Tunnel), converted into garbage cans, of all things 

A common merganser on Lake Lucerne

Interesting artwork: This one is named "Mondo Gioia" (Joyous World)

Lake Lucerne access in Gersau

So many buzzards and kites because it's Spring and the farmers are preparing the pastures.

We found a bench along the road on our second ascent, so stopped for coffee and to enjoy the sunshine and the views.

This was the highest spot on our second ascent.

Another view to Gersau below (looking back the way we came)

A good portion of the hike was along narrow trails like this one, mostly through the woods.

Signs of Spring, the sheep are in the meadows

This is a rare breed of goat called the "Copperneck" or "Kupferhals", related to the Valais Blackneck, and not long ago close to being eradicated. (With the help of breeders they are making a comeback)

A very nice hike along the Waldstätterweg from Brunnen to Gersau to Vitznau.

Toward the end of our hike it looked like rain....

A last stop to enjoy the view over the town of Vitznau before heading down to the road to catch the bus back to Brunnen.

So many birds of prey around at this time of year.

We have done many hikes around this mountain in the last 5 years.

On Mount Rooterberg nearby, from Udligenswil to Adligenswil

(This post was done on January 7th, 2021, three years after the hike. I was updating albums not previously completed).

March 25, 2018 -- A short hike for us this time, only two hours, but we just wanted to get out for some fresh air on a mild early spring day nearby, and in the process continuing along another section of National Trail no.3 (Alpine Panorama Trail) of which we have done several sections, especially near where we live, as it passes right through our region. As usual we made some adjustments to our plan to include less paved trail and more forest trail.

We started off in Udligenswil just below the very visible St.Jost church (as far as churches here go, it's rather on the "modern" side), and walked to Adligenswil where we stopped by for a visit with friends. These towns are very close to Luzern, and on a clear day (which this wasn't really) you can look down on the town walls of Luzern, and also Mount Pilatus looms ahead of you on the trail.

(Later, on Dec.8 2019, we finished the section of the Mt. Rooterberg trail from Adligenswil to Luzern. Those photos can be found HERE)

(And the previous stretch where we'd started in Udligenswil and walked northwards across Mt. Rooterberg along Trail no.3, those photos can be found HERE)

In Udligenswil on Trail no.3. In 2017 we started here and walked to Michaelskreuz to the North. This time we are headed South along the trail, in the direction of Luzern

On this small mountain called Mt. Rooterberg are many such pretty farm houses

And because this is farmland where the ground often gets tilled, we are sure to see loads of buzzards and kites looking for mice.

Coming up the hill from Udligenswil, we first approach St. Jost church from the back.

More pretty farmhouses

The road takes us in a loop around the church of St.Jost

Trail no.3 actually heads South from here, but we're heading North first to pass the church and to loop around the hill on a forest trail

Another kite

This is a very old farmhouse with the honeycomb windows

Some nice details on the old farmhouse

This one also was quite interesting

These very interesting buildings were usually built on a farm in addition to the main farmhouse, where the elder parents would move into once the children took over the farm

Barely visible in the hazy air is the city of Luzern on the right, and Mt.Pilatus straight ahead.

A better view of Mt. Pilatus ahead of us.

A short hike for us, only 6.5 km. We altered our route a bit to include a path through the forest. On our chosen route, we could look down at the city of Luzern, which we would not have seen had we stayed on Route no.3

As of this date, these are the trails we have walked in the area between Lake Zug and Luzern. The orange trail is the one we did this day, and the green one to the North of it in 2017. In 2019 we completed the stretch to Luzern.