Ritom – Piora

Imagine a highland valley where green pastures blaze with wildflowers, small lakes gleam like scattered sapphires, and the only sound is the distant clang of cowbells drifting across vast, silent spaces. The Piora Valley is one of Ticino's most idyllic alpine landscapes, a place where eagles soar overhead, marmots whistle from the rocks, and gentians, buttercups, arnica, and wild orchids paint the meadows in vivid colour. Reaching it could not be easier: one of Europe's steepest funiculars climbs from Piotta to deliver you into this highland paradise. From here, a wealth of signposted trails branch out across the region.

The funicular

The Ritom funicular operates from mid-May to mid-October, carrying passengers effortlessly from Piotta to an altitude of 1,800 metres on an astonishing 87% gradient. The arrival station sits near the Ritom dam, and as you step off, the alpine scenery of the Piora Valley unfolds before you: roughly 8 kilometres of expansive pastures and pretty lakes stretching toward the horizon.

Itinerary 1: the trail of the three small lakes (5h, see map)

This first route, the trail of the three small lakes, begins at Lake Ritom, the largest of the group. The path follows the lakeshore before branching off toward Lake Tom. A 30-minute ascent leads to an enchanting basin cradling a small body of water beside a pasture stable. Walking along the shore of Lake Tom to the opposite bank, a gentle climb carries you over a ridge where the third lake, Cadagno, reveals itself below.

Descend to the cluster of buildings at Alpe Piora, where an excellent and highly sought-after cheese is produced in the traditional dairy. Beside it stands the Alpine Biology Center, a university research station housed in beautifully renovated rustic buildings. Continue on to the Cadagno cabin, where you can purchase cheese, butter, and ricotta at the dairy, or settle onto the terrace for a meal of polenta, cured meats, alpine cheese, and cream cakes. A tasting of Piora cheese, one of the finest in Ticino, is not to be missed. To return to the Ritom dam, follow the educational trail along the opposite bank of the lake, created in 2009.

Itinerary 2: from the Piora to the Lucomagno Pass (5h, see map)

This spectacular crossing links the highland regions of Ritom and Lucomagno between the Leventina and Blenio Valleys. The route is mostly level, fairly easy, and demands no special technical skills, though its five-hour length (excluding breaks) requires careful planning of your day to align with public transport schedules. One approach is to travel early to Biasca, then take a train to Faido, a bus to Piotta, and the funicular up to the Ritom-Piora highland.

From the arrival station at 1,793 metres, follow the road to fish-rich Lake Ritom, then continue on a gravel track to Cadagno and Alpe Piora, celebrated for its cheese. The landscape holds enormous environmental significance: the Alpine Biology Center here promotes scientific research, and Lake Cadagno is studied by ETH Zurich for a rare natural phenomenon: its waters are divided into two distinct layers that, sustained by bacterial activity, never mix.

Continuing toward the Lucomagno Pass, you traverse the Piora Valley through fields, murmuring streams, stone huts, and herds whose cowbells ring through the still air. The walk stays at roughly 2,000 metres altitude. Flowers in striking colours appear among the grasses, marmots pop up from their burrows, and the sky is mirrored in the blue waters of small lakes.

Upon reaching Alpe Carorescio, begin the ascent that leads, without excessive effort, to the Passo del Sole (Sun Pass). Along this stretch you catch glimpses of the Campanitt peaks. From the pass at 2,376 metres, the entire Lucomagno area spreads before you in a spectacular panorama. A long descent brings you down to Acquacalda, from where buses run to Olivone and Biasca (the bus stop is next to the Pro Natura Centre).