Stage 18 of the Via Gottardo Trail #7 starts in Lugano and goes right over Monte San Salvatore to the charming lakeside village of Morcote.

For those who don’t want to walk this stretch all in one piece, we found a shorter variation that starts in the village of Carona on top of the mountain, which can be accessed by bus from Lugano-Paradiso.

The town of Carona is worth a visit on its own; especially fascinating is the entry arch to the village, which offers just centimeters to spare for the bus to pass through! There are 6 churches in this village alone, and the community has created the “path of 6 churches” for those interested in this architecture. One of these churches, the Pilgrim Church of Santa Maria d’Ongero, is a masterpiece of baroque artwork, and is located in the middle of the forest about 700m along the trail from Carona. [To view the artwork inside, the key has to be requested ahead from Sophia Schmidt (Tel. 091 649 72 38)]

Most of the 3.5-km hike to the Alpe Vicania, a large clearing near the top of the mountain just above Morcote is through chestnut and birch forests, with the odd glimpse of the lake to the West. The clearing is a favourite get-away for the locals, mainly because you can get up to just within 100m by car. There is a renovated family-run restaurant of the same name.

From here the hike is a pretty steep downhill one, although the stunning views of Lake Lugano and the lovely Ticinese villages of Vico Morcote and Morcote with its renaissance-baroque church Santa Maria del Sasso make the descent worth it.