2024 Switzerland - Via Alpini and Via Alta Maggia 

Saturday 21st September :  Weather: 16°C in Locarno to 18°C in Lugano to 21°C in Altdorf: 

Locarno and Lugano and Altdorf:  8k walk: 2k in Locarno, 4k in Lugano, 2k in Altdorf  

Ascent and Descent:  Ascent 000m, Descent 000m, 

Time:  8.30am to 4.00pm:  Train Locarno to Bellinzona, then to Lugano, back to Bellinzona, then to Altdorf

Accommodation: Krebsriedgasse 1 Altdorf

This turned out to be a very restful touristy day taking trains to Lugano before going to Altdorf.  We had a Ticino Ticket and took advantage of it to go from Locarno to Lugano for morning coffee, then back to Bellinzona for lunch before a 100k, 30 minute 200kph train trip through the Gothard Pass to Altdorf where we arrived to see snow on the alps.  

We’re awake at 6am, and have a cup of tea in our room before a quick shower then down to breakfast at the Locarno Youth Hostel.  It’s not as busy as when we were here three weeks ago - it was supposed to be with a sun and Ice Festival - at least that was teh reason the room cost more.  Breakfast is regimented and very ordinary.  Take a tray, add a small slice of cake, a tinsy bowl of meusli and yoghurt, a thin slice of stale bread with butter and jam, a slither of cheese and a scrap of ham.  The only real nicety was the Latte Coffee.  Back to our room for a final pack, then downstairs to push our used  linen down the chute, check out and repay the 2 CHF for the locker, then leave at 8.30am.

It’s about a 2k walk to the train.  I can’t resist buying more pannetone from the Al Porto cafe at the station.  We’re intending to take a train to Bellinzona then change to a Lugano train, but then we see a direct train to Lugano at 9.22am which we take.  Our Ticino ticket is still valid so we can go anywhere in Ticino all day today.  While on the train I check out what to see in Lugano and see there’s a cable car up to Monte Bre from where you can see Monte Rosa and the Bernese Alps.  But with only a few hours to spare, it was not possible.

The train arrives on time in Lugano at 9.54am.  It’s a beautiful city sitting between the alps and Lake Lugano.  It's an upmarket city judging by the exorbitant price of food and clothes, and the fashiobale look of tourists.  The train station is high above the lake, and we walk steeply down a stoney pebbled path past the cathedral then through the town which has a display of upmarket cars - Aston Martins etc - in the town square.  At the lake is a beautiful path which we follow around the lake’s edge to the mysterious gates.  No one knows who built them or of what significance they are.  But everyone stops to have their photo taken at this spot.  May as well get a Photo at the gates too!  We stop for a coffee with a chunk of pannetone cake/bread, comparing brands from the Coop to Rovana from Cevio to Al Porto.  

We’re afraid of missing our 2.17pm train from Bellinzona to Altdorf, so we wander back up the steep stoney path to the station to wait for any train from Lugano to Bellinzona. We take one at 11.55am and arrive back in Bellinzona 20 minutes later.  Time to do some shopping at the local Coop which google maps says is nearby.  After 15 minutes of looking and trying to interpret google’s directions, we eventually find the Coop UNDERNEATH the station, not nearby!  We buy smoked salmon, bananas, brie cheese, tomatoes and a tube of mayonnaise before going to the plaza outside the station for a cup of tea.

The Bbellinzona-Altdorf train is due to leave at 2.17pm, and we don’t want to miss it, so we’re at the platform with 20 minutes to spare.  The train is already there waiting as it seems the Lugarno leg was cancelled.  Lucky for us we didn’t plan to get that connection from Lugano.  At precisely 2.17pm, the train leaves, and soon we’re in the 54km long Gothard train tunnel, emerging in Altdorf after 100k, at 200kph in 30 minutes.

Its’ a gloriously warm day at 21°C in Altdorf and there’s snow on the Alps since we were here three weeks ago.  First we walk down the Bahnhof Strasse to check out bus times for tomorrow as we’re planning to walk from Klausen Pass back to Altdorf on the Schächentaler Höhenwegtake by taking bus 408 up to Klausen Pass, then walking back 16k to Briel where we’ll get the cable car down to Brig, and then the 402 bus back to Altdorf.  It seems we’ll have to leave early to get the 7.38am bus to give us enough time to walk 16k to the Briel cable car. Early is OK because we’re up before 6am anyway.

Walking back down to 1 Krebsriedgasse, our farm stay Air BnB, we marvel at the beauty of the snow capped alps around us.  It’s like coming home when we arrive at Rotem Marty’s Farm stay where our two stored bags are waiting for us in the room.  It truly is a farm stay as we can smell the cows which have just come down from the high alps for winter in their barn.  The family is there crushing apples with all the kids helping out.  We’re met by Rotem Marty who welcomes us gleefully and tells us that we can get some fresh milk after the cows have been milked and confirms the buses  for tomorrow.

Dropping our gear inside the small studio, we quickly do some washing to get it on the drying rack in the afternoon sun, then walk 500 metres down the road to Aldi Suisse to top up our supplies - beer, Pinot Grigio wine, yoghurt, fresh hot bread and capsicums.  Plus a large plastic bowl for mixing up our diced salad with a squirt of mayonnaise.  Back to our Farmstay and soon we’re sitting outside having a beer/wine with salted peanuts while chopping up our salad.  How quickly it gets cold when the sun goes behind the mountains, so we drag our half dry washing in, and eat inside - our diced salad with a tray of smoked salmon and a slice of fresh bread and butter.  

Time for a shower to wash away the fishy smell, then blogging and emailing in bed.  Ian makes us a decaff coffee with the fresh cows milk and at 9am it’s lights out.