The Italian flair of Switzerland. The Mediterranean region begins on the southern side of the Alps. There is a feel of Italy, with palm trees at clean beaches and lanes and alleyways leading to piazzas and churches and of course the amazing Alps.
Located in the Centovalli (valley of a 100 valleys) only 20 minutes by train from Locarno and Lake Maggiore is the village of Intragna. It is first mentioned in 1272 as Intranea. It is a beautiful stone village in the mountains with fabulous hiking.
The Centovalli is a hiking paradise. It offers untouched nature, breathtaking vistas and a dense, well-groomed network of hiking trails and the opportunity visit Locarno on Lake Maggiore. The food and atmosphere of the fresco dinners at the Hotel Stazione are outstanding. This impressive village on a rocky spur at the confluence of the Isorno and Melezza rivers has Ticino’s highest church tower and an 80-m high railway viaduct.
Base Villages: Stresa, Intragna and Lugano
o September 25: meet in Milan and take train to Stresa
o September 26: tour Borromean Islands with Private boat
o September 27: travel by train to Intranga (Stazione Hotel)
o September 28, 29 & 30: Hike above the valley of a 100 valleys (Centovalli)
o October 1: train to Lugano (1/2 day to sightsee) (Grand Hotel Villa Castagonla)
o October 2: loop hike above Lugano
o October 3: return to Milan by train or on to your next destination
Maximum group size is 8
Easy and moderate hikes each hiking day – 4 and 5 star accommodations – perfect season to hike Ticino!
Hotels:
Stresa, Italy: Grand Hotel Borromees
https://www.borromees.com/en/
Intragna, Switzerland: Hotel Stazione
https://daagnese.ch
Lugano, Switzerland: Grand Hotel Ville Castagona
https://www.villacastagnola.com/en
Itinerary:
Wrap up the 2019 Alps hiking season with a luxury fall trip to the Italian side of Switzerland. Join us the last week of September and hike the Lake District of Switzerland above (Lago Maggiore and Lago Lugano). 4-star & 5-star accommodations with fine cuisine are waiting for you as are fabulous moderate hikes topped off with a wonderful Mediterranean climate.
We meet in Milan on September 25th and take the train to Stresa, Italy for 2 nights where we stay at the Grand Hotel Borromees. From here we tour the Borromean Islands and dine outdoors in small piazzas.
When touring the Islands we first go to Isola Bella then to Pescatori for lunch then we go walk off lunch on Isola Madre. Isola Madre has magnificent paths through plants collected from all over the world. The whole Island is a lush garden. http://www.stresa.com/borromeanislands
The next part of your trip we take the train via the Centovalli (valley of a 100 valleys) route (a beautiful cog train route through the mountains) to Intragna. Intragna is 20 minutes by cog train from Locarno. In Intragna we will stay at the Hotel Stazione where the food is the best off all the places we go. It is a fabulous place to stay.
After Intragna we take the train to Lugano where we have almost a full day to explore. The next day we do a fabulous hike above the town looking out over Lake Lugano. Here we stay at the Hotel Ville Castagnoa.
Only 6 spots remaining!
Guides: Shannon Harris and Navita Shyam
