Monte Generoso, ring from Erbonne

Access

From Como to Argegno along the 'Regina' state road. From Argegno to Casasco along the Val d'Intelvi provincial road. From Casasco to Erbonne along a small asphalt road, but narrow and winding. Parking extremely problematic, but possibly a car park under construction (October 2007).

Introduction

Round trip with a great variety of natural environments to cross. The destination - Monte Generoso or Calvagione - is the most famous vantage point in Lombardy. The entire route is on Swiss territory or, at most, zigzagging along border paths. The difference in altitude is limited, but the extent is considerable.

Description

From Erbonne, a small, recently restored village, you immediately descend to cross the Breggia stream on a modern wooden bridge, which coincides with the border line at this point. On the Swiss side, one ascends to cross a beautiful beech forest. Passing first a chapel (Sant'Antonio) in a panoramic position and then a small cemetery, you reach the village of Scudellate (910m). From here, follow the tarmac road to Roncapiano (970m) and cross it to a small church, where you return to the path. The Swiss signposts are not abundant, but extremely precise: at every fork in the road, the direction 'Bellavista' must not be lost. The environments you cross are the most varied: beech forest, clearings, grassy rises, pastures with centuries-old tree specimens. Gradually, in ups and downs, the path heads towards the ridge overlooking Lake Lugano. Suddenly you come to a large square - a picnic area - reached by a cart track coming up from Mendrisio; briefly follow the gravel road and arrive at Bellavista (1223m): intermediate station of the cog railway that climbs from Capolago to the summit of Monte Generoso. From here on, the path to Monte Generoso is so obvious and busy that it becomes superfluous to pay attention to the signs. Initially, one follows the railway from a distance to its left, among the beech trees; then one flanks it and crosses it, staying to the right until the end. The environment opens up and, aided by the 'Nature Trail' panels, one appreciates the geological and floristic qualities of the area. The last ascent leads to the constructions of the Monte Generoso 1601m tourist area: railway station, bar, restaurant, agritourism, weather and radio-television broadcasting stations, belvedere terrace. There are two possibilities to reach the culminating trigonometric point. The first, more comfortable and more scenic, is a paved road overlooking the lake; the second, less touristy, is a steep grassy path facing Italy, which leads directly to the summit (1701m).
The panorama, which is very famous, is open in every direction and illustrated by several boards reproducing the horizon line. The spectacle of paragliders taking off is frequent. From the summit, a descent variant equipped with metal fixtures ("Ferrata del Gemellaggio" or "Ferrata Angelino") starts towards Italy. Appropriate equipment is required).

For the return journey, follow the signs and take the path steeply downhill on the border ridge, which, amidst meadows and beech woods, in view of the Erbonne valley, reaches an abandoned alp. Here (there is a chance of encountering herds of chamois), one re-enters the forest to the left, passes through a well-kept rockery, and with a series of narrow muddy hairpin bends reaches the outward path not far from the chapel of St. Anthony. If there is time left, a small museum of smuggling and the Guardia di Finanza can be visited in Erbonne.