This pretty village sits surrounded by woods at the head of Val Lavizzara. From here the road leads to the dam holding back the emerald Lago Sambuco, from where you can hike to other lakes as well as north over the mountains into Valle Leventina.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
28.08 MILES
If ever a view in Switzerland is going to leave you dumbstruck (and there are a few great ones to choose from!), it will surely be the infinite swoop of…
24.42 MILES
Rising dramatically above the Old Town, this medieval stronghold is Bellinzona’s most visible icon. Head up Salita San Michele from Piazza Collegiata, or…
29.49 MILES
Gazing over the mighty Reichenbach Falls, where the cataract plunges 250m to the ground with a deafening roar, you can see how Arthur Conan Doyle thought…
15.54 MILES
Marking the cantonal frontier with Uri is the vertiginous Furka Pass (2431m), the run up to which offers superlative views over the fissured Rhône glacier…
16.42 MILES
Coming from Valais, the mesmerising Rhône Glacier is first seen from the tiny hamlet of Gletsch. This glacier is the source of the Rhône River, which…
24.64 MILES
On cloudless days, you can see Lake Maggiore from this 13th-century hilltop fortification. The fortress is one of Bellinzona’s most impressive with its…
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Santuario della Madonna del Sasso
19.59 MILES
Overlooking the town, this sanctuary was built after the Virgin Mary supposedly appeared in a vision to a monk, Bartolomeo d’Ivrea, in 1480. There’s a…
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24.91 MILES
From central Bellinzona, it’s a 3.5km hike south to the Castello di Sasso Corbaro. Perched high on a wooded hillside, the castle has an austere beauty…
Nearby Ticino attractions
1. Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista
0.94 MILES
The centrepiece of Mogno is this extraordinary 1996 cylindrical church designed by Mario Botta. The grey (Maggia granite) and white (marble from Peccia)…
7.11 MILES
At the end of the Val Bavona, just after San Carlo, a cable car rides up to Robiei dam and its startlingly turquoise reservoir, tailor-made for a day’s…
7.16 MILES
A smooth road follows a mountain stream through this valley, where narrow meadows are cradled between steep rocky walls. Its tightly huddled stone and…
8.76 MILES
A once-abandoned hamlet at the head of the valley, Sonogo is enveloped by chestnut and beech woods. Its pocket-sized centre is an adorable collection of…
5. Museo Nazionale San Gottardo
9.01 MILES
Once at the top of the St Gotthard Pass, visit the Museo Nazionale San Gottardo, which covers the commercial, political and cultural significance of the…
9.29 MILES
The centrepiece of Cevio is its vibrant 16th-century Pretorio (magistrate’s court), covered in the family coats-of-arms of many of the area’s rulers,…
11.14 MILES
This 2961m mountain, reached by cable car, attracts hikers in summer and skiers coming for the snow-sure slopes in winter. The region is also beloved of…
12.02 MILES
A road of seemingly endless hairpin bends snakes up to this minor ski centre (with 30km of pistes) and high-pasture village of slate-roofed, whitewashed…