Those who have hiked these nine stages know the Sottoceneri through and through: from the pre-Alpine mountains to the Mediterranean shores, from mountain huts to grottos surrounded by vineyards, the Sottoceneri presents itself in all its diversity.

The Sentiero Lago di Lugano snakes its way like a huge «S» from Magliaso to Monte Ceneri, in sweeping arcs along the border to Lugano and via Morcote and Monte Generoso down into Mendrisiotto.

One highlight follows another, beginning with the well-known ridge hike from Monte Lema to Monte Tamaro with the Botta church at Alpe Foppa. Soon followed by the Denti della Vecchia (old lady’s teeth) with the Monte Boglia, probably the most impressive vantage point of the Sottoceneri. After Lugano the trail joins the quite rightly, well-travelled route from Monte San Salvatore to picturesque Morcote. On the other side of the lake, dinosaur fossils are found on the Monte San Giorgio. The Monte Generoso and the Valle die Muggio give an interesting impression of the southernmost valleys of Switzerland.

Even with all these well-known mountains, this hike still offers some surprising discoveries. Such as the Monti di Medeglia, from where you can see the Sotto and Sopraceneri. So practically each stage is worth the journey, without having to hike the whole route in one go.

Stages Places   Arrival / return travel  Rail, bus, boat recommendations 

Length130 km

 Height differenceLugano (Magliaso)–Mendrisio: 9'300 m
Mendrisio–Lugano (Magliaso): 10'000 m

 RequirementsGrade: medium (mountain hiking trail)
Conditions: difficult

 SignalizationFor hiking, follow the logo indicated on the yellow signposts.