Valle di Lodano, August 2024

Valle Maggia is a large alpine valley in Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, extending some 60 kilometers from Locarno to the north towards the Gotthard Massif, which forms the watershed between the North Sea and the Mediterranean. Many smaller side valleys extend from Valle Maggia, one of which being the Valle di Lodano, which forms part of the larger Valli di Lodano, Busai and Soladino forest reserves. Unusually, the flanks of the valleys in this part of the Alps are covered not by conifers such as firs or spruce but by broadleaves – mainly beech, extending from the floor of the valley almost all the way up to the mountain ridges.

From Lodano the mountains rise dramatically into the sky, creating an almost surreal atmosphere of raw, “primal” nature. Lodano itself has a split personality: the picturesque old village of typical rustici, traditional local buildings made from unplastered granite stones – this is where the tourists live – and a modern new town (new village) next to it where the locals live. The village is connected to Locarno, a major transportation hub, by super-regular (every half hour) buses which plow the length of Valle Maggia.

The village makes the most of its UNESCO-designation, with multiple informative panels introducing the history and significance of the protected alpine beech forest. However, some care must be taken, as these panels show the protected area (“Buffer zone (protection)” in the nomination file), and not the actual core zone, which is smaller. Crucially, the core zone is located in the high valley (Hochtal) of the Lodano river, and there is really no way to enter the core zone without ascending to higher altitudes. There are no roads into Valle di Lodano, and the various aerial cableways indicated on maps are used to transport small cargo only, hence unless you charter a helicopter (which I was told would be possible – this is Switzerland!) some strenuous hiking is required. Given the alpine, high-altitude environment some kind of hiking boots are de rigueur – these are alpine trails, the terrain is quite rough, there are large granite boulders lying everywhere (some, clearly, the result of land slides which appear regularly here), the drop down to the gorge formed by the Lodano river is positively steep, and in some places cables have been deployed to help hikers navigate steep areas or traverse narrow cliffs. Nevertheless, beech trees cling to this precipitous terrain, some of which are surprisingly tall. I am no tree expert, however I felt that the leaves are somewhat smaller than with beech trees in the lowlands. The trails themselves are very well maintained, the result, I think, of many years of hard labour, as shown by plenty of civil engineering works such as staircases made from raw granite bricks, stone bridges, and stone walls. Somewhat unexpectedly and even though I was the only person walking the trail in the morning hours I noticed no animals whatsoever – not even birds; the whole valley appeared eerily quiet.

I overnighted in a small pensione in Lodano to start my hike at dawn the next morning. A very steep path took me to an unnamed alp at 46.25931, 8.67612 some 300 meters above Lodano, offering dramatic views over the Valle Maggia and the beech forests all around the mountain flanks (see picture). From there, the path continued upwards to Castel (or Castello, 450 meters above Lodano), a small settlement of a dozen or so rustici, converted into weekend homes (apparently empty most of the time). Once past Castel there is no doubt that you are now in the sought-after core zone of the beech forest; the path continues at altitude further down Valle di Lodano, to eventually ascend to Alpe Canaa, some 1500 meters above Lodano, and already beyond the tree line. Alpe Canaa offers some lodging,  but I did not go that far up, opting instead to return to Lodano via Alpe Canigèe, on the opposite side the Lodano river from where I started in the morning. I ended my trip some five hours after I started, just in time to catch a late afternoon flight back home from Linate (there are hourly direct trains from Locarno to Milan).