Surroundings, Locarno

Sights in the surrounding area of Locarno include: Alpe Cardad (skiing) and Monte Bré (mountain village). There are also several worthwhile driving tours which depart from Locarno.

Related Attractions

Alpe Cardada

From the Madonna del Sasso a cableway 2km/1mi long ascends in 10minutes to the Alpe Cardada (1,350 m/4,429ft; hotel), with magnificent views. Chairlift (869 m/2,851ft, six minutes) to Cimetta (1,676 m/5,499ft; good skiing with several skilifts.

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Monte Bré (San Bernardo)

From Monti a road (6km/4mi) runs steeply uphill through the forest, with many bends, to the little mountain village of Mont Bré (1,004 m/ 3,294ft). 1km/ 0.6mi beyond this along the mountainside is San Bernardo (1,096 m/3,596ft), with a 16th C. chapel. From both villages there are splendid views.

Driving tour to Mergoscia

This driving tour is 13km/8mi with a narrow and winding road, but well worth it. The road runs northeast from the Madonna del Sasso along the hillside, with far-ranging views, via Orselina and Brione sopra Minusio (433 m/1,421ft). 8km/5mi: Contra (486 m/1,595ft), high above the mouth of the Val Verzasca. The road continues, through galleries and over bridges, along the west side of the valley. It is 5km/3mi to Mergoscia.

Mergoscia

Mergoscia (735 m/2,412ft) is a beautifully situated village with a view of the Verzasca dam and Pizzo di Vogorno (2,446 m/8,025ft). The church has 15th C. wall-paintings.

Driving tour into Val Verzasca

Highlights of this driving tour include the village of Lavertezzo, Italian style homes and churches.

Highlights:	Val Verzasca	Lavertezzo

Driving tour into Maggia Valley

This driving tour from Locarno to Fusio leads through a wooded valley, passing the church of Santa Maria della Grazie di Campagna.

Highlights:	Maggia, Switzerland	Bignasco, Switzerland

Driving tour to Val Centovalli

This 19 km driving tour offers scenery featuring steep hills, small villages, and views over the River Maggia.

Highlights:	Val Centovalli (Valley of a Hundred Valleys)	Museum of the Centovalli and Pedemonte, Intragna

Centovalli Railroad (Domodóssola-Locarno)

Route: Domodóssola-Locarno.

Length: 52km/32mi; duration two hours. Highlights: This railroad links the great European lines of the Simplon and the Gotthard on narrow gauge. It traverses the wildly romantic Centovalli past idyllic gorges and over numerous bridges with a maximum gradient of 17%.

Special features: Visitors who have a complete day at their disposal should combine the Centovalli railroad with a return trip (Zurich-St Gotthard-Centovalli-Simplon-Lötschberg-Brig-Zurich).