Trail Run Lugano: Swiss Lakes and Mountains Guided

Arrive in Lugano, Switzerland and check in to our lakeside hotel. You’ll meet your guide and the rest of the group before heading out for dinner at a recommended restaurant a few minutes away.

We’ll ride a funicular up Monte Bré, a small peak perched above the town. From here, it’s onwards and upwards to Monte Boglia, on a steep climb with incredible views waiting for us at the top. To conclude the run, we’ll descend a ridgeline with Italy on the right and Switzerland on the left. We’ll take time for a break at a mountain hut, before traversing back to Bré and a return trip back to town on the funicular.

Today we run along a high crest between two mountains – Monte Lema and Monte Tamaro. The views are outstanding: to Lake Maggiore below, and stretching as far as Monte Rosa, the Matterhorn and other alpine peaks on a clear day. Cable cars take us uphill at the start, and down to the valley at the end, saving us 1000m of vert. There are plenty of options to stop for refreshments along the way, including simple “self-service” shops in old shepherds huts!

Our day starts with a train ride into the Leventina valley to the north of Lugano. We’ll take a funicular up to the alpine-feeling Lake Ritom, where we’ll stop in at the comfortable Rifugio Lago Ritom. We’ll spend the night here, so we can leave our overnight gear and head off for the day with just our trail running vests.

Next, we’ll run through the mountains, taking in several lakes, waterfalls, and beautiful single track trails. This will be the most remote area to which we’ll travel, but we’ll still get to stop at the Capanna Cadagno and Capanna Cadlimo mountain refuges, high on a ridgeline with panoramic views across the Alps.

We’ll spend the night high on the shores of Lake Ritom at the Swiss Alpine Club’s Refugio Lago Ritom. 

We’ll have a rest day today, with a bit of easy travel thanks to typical Swiss mountain travel efficiency. After heading down from Lake Ritom on the funicular, we’ll travel by train and move to Locarno, our second lakeside town of the trip. Here, we can spend time sunbathing and swimming at the Lido, or taking in a local run.

Today’s trail run takes in the waterfalls and ancient Roman bridges of the dramatic Val Verzasca. We take a Swiss Postbus up to the tiny village of Sonogno at the top of the valley, allowing for a relatively flat run back down this steep-walled, dramatic valley.

We’ll visit Corippo, Switzerland’s smallest village, with its entertaining maze of narrow, cobblestone alleyways. Thanks to its granite stone houses, Corippo is considered one of Switzerland’s most beautiful villages. We’ll enjoy a stop here for a treat or two, taking in this unique setting. 

The evening is yours to wander through Locarno and enjoy dinner at one of town’s many notable restaurants.

It’s back up to the mountains today, with another stunning ridgeline route taking in the Cimetta, Trossa and Madone peaks. We’ll take the funicular right from town, then hop on a gondola, saving us some climbing! From Cardada we head up through forest to an incredible view point at Cimetta. Continuing along the ridgeline, we near the 2039m high Madone, which offers us an optional out and back on more technical trails. The return to the gondola traverses the side of the Cimetta mountain, through beech forest –  with a stop at a mountain capanna – before we descend to Locarno.

In the evening, we’ll reminiscence about the week’s adventure over a farewell dinner.

Today we leave Ticino, taking a train from Locarno to reach the airport or our next destination.