lake lugano region lake maggiore and valleys ticino bellinzona and northern ticino
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ticinoisareal pa radiseforspo rt slovers climbing mountain biking sailing sport is all-important to mirko gianini and ticino is the ideal setting to live this passion mirko gianini is very enthusiastic about the via ferrata the new climbing route at mount san salvatore ticino has really done a lot for sports enthusiasts lovers in recent years and the facilities are convincing mirko gianini re up the it s another world ticino from palm trees to alpine roses what this 26 year old athlete enjoys most is finding his own way around ticino is ideal for this with its rivers where you can go rafting or diving or the possibilities offered by the lakes sailing surfing swimming not to mention the mountains mountain biking mountaineering climbing glaciers and from above you can get back down again with a parachute or paraglider mirko gianini becomes enthusiastic here there are enormous differences in altitude in a small area and in barely an hour you can go from the palm trees by the la
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an oasis far removed fromeveryd ay lifethegardenerinthe pa rkofsangr at o knows his rhododendrons from his azaleas san grato is the patron saint of flowers if you had to picture him roberto schaerer would be his spitting image jovial cheerful and sympathetic the 60 year old gardener could even be called a patron saint of his art for years he has been taking care of rhododendrons azaleas and all the other plants in the six hectares of the san grato park high up in carona after all these years he says bushes and trees don t only reach up to the sky but also into your heart work in the famous scherrer park down in morcote with its fountains and exotic buildings yet san grato really is something special says the gardener here the atmosphere is not so carefully structured here nature is still allowed to develop find its own way always full of surprises the friendly gardener is not the only one to appreciate this park every day families come here to enjoy themselves besieging regione l
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rare plants fossils and wonderful views there are further giants which help to make this region one of the most impressive in switzerland monte generoso for example from where you can see over the lake area and the plains of lombardy to the appennines and the elegant chain of the alps with the finsteraarhorn the matterhorn the jungfrau and monte rosa the trip on the rack railway takes 40 minutes through unspoilt countryside where rare species of plants and animals have survived not found elsewhere since the last ice age or monte san giorgio part of the unesco world s natural heritage no other mountain landscape in switzerland has maintained a larger assortment of well preserved fossils fish invertebrates and other creatures of up to six metres in length inviting footpaths suitable for families along with more challenging routes are found on monte brč which you must visit for another reason the splendid nostalgic funicular dating from 1912 is pure travelling pleasure the distinctive
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w here wat erworkswondersthegreen wat ersoftheriververzasca themarblesculpturesinthemaggia va lley theflo at inggardensofbrissago wa s t h at justadream ort with e nowadays a res na once a fishing villag ury hotels in switzerland asco n of lux gest concentratio lar a deep blast of the horn the boat sets sail from the brissago islands as the sun is reflected on the waters of lake maggiore from the stern you can see italy disappearing beneath a light blue sky on the shore colourful villages and a little slower the mighty mountains attract the attention the warmth and gentle vibration of the engines lull you images of the day pass through your mind and you ask yourself can this be real the a magical river world the light green of the river verzasca like liquid jade the water seeks its way through the eroded rocky landscape in lavertezzo it ripples under the double-arched bridge ponte dei salti if you walk against the direction of the river you will find comfortable stone beds and n
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in a different world timeandagain writersh av esoughtthesolitudeoftheonsernone va lley whichtheycanstillfindtod ay lago maggiore e valli it is as unworldly as it is veiled in mystery this valley with its rocky gorges woody slopes and the little roads winding high up into the terraces where they branch into stone-built villages the actual distance to locarno is not great although it feels immense there is a reason why writers have repeatedly chosen to settle here to feel the primordial power it drew alfred andersch to berzona as well as max frisch who paid tribute to the onsernone valley in his work man in the holocene however the best known and also the most controversial writer of the valley was aline valangin dorf an der grenze village on the border together with the lawyer wladimir rosenbaum she created an island of freedom and contentment in comologno during the 1930s james joyce also stopped here as did c.g jung and kurt tucholsky here they founded a refuge for the politicall
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ellinzona and bellinzona and northern ticino northern ticin the market has its own rhythm they say towards closing time the young people also arrive
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new experiences on old roads somejourneysareanendinthemse lv e s for example the tremola with its cobbled twists and turns all pass the pass to beat the gotthard is rider alois mailinger harley says es blestones which are extremely demanding especially when travelling by bike over the pass 2108 metres and you want to force your way up its 12 gradient a mystical mountain all this trembling can hardly be surpassed in terms of enjoyment if you travel through the ancient rocky landscape by car or on a harley davidson like alois maillinger from germany the gotthard is the pass to beat all passes he says it isn t the highest pass and doesn t have the most bends but there is something mystical about this mountain this is already the third time that alois has crossed the tremola and the third time that he is so overwhelmed that he stops to take a couple of photos and that won t be the last time he laughs rattling off on his harley meanwhile you can hear the nostalgic stage-coach
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sweets made from herbs the other thing is the fields of herbs within a few years the blenio valley has become a stronghold for herbs at the alpine institute of phytopharmacology in olivone by a ticinese project which administers many of the fields herbs from all over ticino are collected scientifically analysed stored and with the help of regional businesses turned into sweets and culinary oils among other things the most famous product is herb tea which is now in every branch of migros in ticino it is best taken in a thermos flask to accompany you on your walks or enjoy it with a sunday brunch at the foot of the lukmanier with a view over the blenio valley with the gurgling of the brenno in your ears breathing in the scent of sun-dried bedlinen oil s an d te as sw ee ts cu lin ar yfro m he rb s ar e pr od uc ed bellinzona e alto ticino 46
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swings with good views p l ay inggolfinticinoalsoinvo lv esthelandscape klock a perfect stroke the little ball drives into the sky becomes smaller and smaller can hardly be seen at its highest point and begins to fall it lands on the green bounces twice and stays still great stroke put down your club and take a deep breath that is when you feel a part of the cultivated 18 hole course of the golf club patriziale in ascona with its five star green directly overlooking lake maggiore alotof wat e r and challenging holes but it is not the only place in ticino where you can play golf at golf gerre in losone you are also surrounded by a picturesque landscape a river three small lakes and the long sometimes narrow greens demand a high degree of precision if you want to successfully master the 18 hole course 71 par you can even do this in winter thanks to the mild climate golf gerre is playable all year round like golf club patriziale in ascona and the third in the group golf club lugano in
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