Motorbike tour Ticino

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Motorbike tour Ticino
Klaus H. Daams

Motorbike tour Ticino

Motorbike tour Ticino

Motorbike tour Ticino

Motorbike tour Ticino

13th pictures

Motorbike tour Ticino
Klaus H. Daams

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Under the bright Saturday morning sun in the azure sky, walls of snow up to eleven meters high tower up at the beginning of June.

Motorbike tour Ticino
Klaus H. Daams

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Ticino bewitches with a Mediterranean mix of mountains and passes, palm trees and lakes on the south side of the Alps.

Motorbike tour Ticino
Klaus H.. Daams

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Jungle green forest and perfect switchbacks near Fusio in Val Lavizzara.

Motorbike tour Ticino
Klaus H. Daams

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In the “Belvedere” hotel in Locarno, refined desserts are served that you should definitely indulge in.

Motorbike tour Ticino
Klaus H. Daams

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At the jetty in Magadino on Lake Maggiore, you could switch from land to water.

Motorbike tour Ticino
Klaus H. Daams

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Bird’s eye view of Cevio in the Valle Maggia.

Motorbike tour Ticino
Klaus H. Daams

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Nufenen Pass at the beginning of June: more than ten meter high walls of snow frame the road into an imposing labyrinth of curves.

Motorbike tour Ticino
Klaus H. Daams

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Break filler: little food stalls in Val Lavizzara.

Motorbike tour Ticino
Klaus H. Daams

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Related travel buddies: Ducati Multistrada 1000 and 1200 in front of the “Ristorante Alpino” in Sonogno.

Motorbike tour Ticino
Klaus H. Daams

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White water bathing area in Val Bavona.

Motorbike tour Ticino
Klaus H. Daams

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Bathing water again, this time for the motorcycle: tunnel in Val Lavizzara.

Motorbike tour Ticino
Klaus H. Daams

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The dense green is reminiscent of a jungle in the tropics.

Motorbike tour Ticino
Klaus H. Daams

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Travel time: three to four days. Distance covered: 750 kilometers.

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Motorbike tour Ticino

Motorcycle trip through Ticino
On the south side of the Alps

Still Switzerland or already Italy – Ticino bewitches with a Mediterranean mix of mountains and passes, palm trees and lakes on the south side of the Alps.

Klaus H. Daams

11/16/2018

Even the journey over the curve carousel from the Klausen- and Furkapass is a poem – at the “end” of which we even find a suitable accommodation, the historic hotel “Croix d’Or et Poste” in Munster, where prominent guests like Matterhorn The first to climb Edgar Whymper and the poet prince Goethe stayed the night. “Azzurro, this is heaven for lovers, because azzuro means blue”, hit Vico Torriani in 1968. 50 years later, you can also fall in love spontaneously, in the 2,478-meter-long Nufenen Pass. Under the bright Saturday morning sun in the azure sky, walls of snow up to eleven meters high tower up on both sides of the serpentine pass road at the beginning of June; it is a playground for motorcyclists of all stripes and at the same time a flight path from Valais into Ticino, the southernmost canton of Switzerland, which “pushes” into Italy between Lake Maggiore and Lake Como.

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On the south side of the Alps

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Gotthard and Lukmanier

Ticino has two more Alpine passes up its sleeve, the divine Gotthard and the Lukmanier alias Lucomagno. The former is saved for the journey home, the latter is immediately put under the wheels of our Ducatis. Almost like in the old GDR times, they rattle over the roadway that is still made of concrete slabs in places. Turn around at the 1,915 meter high pass – which makes up 500 vertical meters, because unlike on Nufenen there is hardly any decorative snow here – and back through Valle Santa Maria and Valle di Blenio to the junction into Valle Malvaglia. The secluded valley could also be on the Amazon, it is so jungle green. Right in the middle like stranded humpback whales on the narrow lane, two abandoned snowmobiles in their summer sleep. Total contrast to the deserted Malvaglia then Locarno, where the grace of the travel journalistic assignment brings us three nights in the noble Hotel “Belvedere”.


Motorbike tour Ticino


Klaus H. Daams

Idyllic bridge in Cevio in the Valle Maggia.

Breakfast with Geissens and Co. on the terrace, before instead of the wellness area and pool, ping-pong and outdoor chess, today the Valle Maggia and its side valleys beckon. The highlights: In Val Lavizzara, the upper part of the Valle Maggia, we virtually discover a waterfall underway, which Winnetou probably also – or was it Chingachgook who hid himself from nasty pursuers behind a curtain of water falling from the rock? – would have liked it. The Val Bavona scores on the one hand with secluded bathing spots in crystal clear, but not exactly warm white water. On the other hand, through lovingly restored rustici, traditional stone and wooden houses, many of them built under gigantic boulders that are dangerously enthroned; But don’t worry, today is Sunday, and heavy rocks are sure to have a day off. But not the centrifugal forces in the Valle Rovana. “Ten daring hairpin bends in the lower part of an inaccessible gorge”, promises the travel guide, and in fact the narrow hairpin bends turn out to be ideal for training or enjoying serpentines. Then it becomes more fluid, and the Testastretta engine of the 1200 Multistrada pounds just as enthusiastically as its sprightly “ancestor”, the very lively, air-cooled two-valve engine in the 1000 Multistrada, further uphill to Bosco Gurin. At the end we chase the spirited Cavalli again at a moderate canter through Centovalli, which is often misunderstood as a racecourse, to the Italian border, before returning to the pretty “Belvedere” high above Locarno.

Ticino is manageable and compact

Monday morning. If yesterday the traffic jam on the shores of Lake Maggiore was probably as strong as on a lap around Lake Constance, so that the “escape” into the valleys was only opportune, it looks more relaxed today. Especially from above, for example at Brissago: palm trees and villas on the slope, in between a panoramic view of the smooth mirror of the lake, from time to time rippled by the waves of the ferry and excursion boats. The search for the even more perfect postcard motif leads to a lap over the Alpe di Neggia, a 1,395 meter high pass not far from the northeast shore of Lake Maggiore. But instead of the lake from above, there are trees on all sides on the forest road. If you want to continue the motif hunt: Monte Bre is particularly impressive at sunset with a romantic view of Lake Lugano. Looked at soberly, the busy Lugano and Mendrisiotto, southernmost part of Ticino, seem suboptimal, at least for motorcyclists who are short on time, scusi, and so we prefer to head north again, into the wild Valle Verzasca, famous for its rocky bathing places and its emerald green spring water near Lavertezzo . At the end of the picturesque area after 25 kilometers, on the car-free village square of Sonogno. Opportunity for a conclusion in the restaurant of the “Ristorante Alpino”.


Motorbike tour Ticino


Klaus H. Daams

Curvy roads near Fusio in Val Lavizzara.

Ticino is manageable and compact and literally not endless. Those who stay three to four days have the feeling that they have seen (almost) everything. Alpine passes in the north, various natural valleys with rocks and mountain streams, waterfalls and a lot of forest in the south. Most of the valleys are dead ends with correspondingly little traffic on the side roads. Which, as can hardly be expected otherwise in posh Switzerland, are mostly in good condition; only on very small streets it is sometimes a bit bumpy. On the shores of Lago Maggiore and Lake Lugano, space is scarce and precious, stop-and-go during rush hour is not a foreign word, so that places like Locarno and Ascona, Lugano or Bellinzona have a secondary attraction for motorcyclists – apart from the strolling factor and après-ski, of course -Moto in picturesque squares in the historical centers. One last night in the “Belvedere”, then we part ways. While one Multistrada rushes to the Gotthard, following its bold beak, the other, the older one with its rounded, divided pulpit, is drawn through Centovalli to Piedmont for a real “Italian look-up” after the days in Ticino.

More information about the Ticino trip

Anyone who may be a little “unfamiliar” with Switzerland but think Italy is great – visit Ticino without prejudice. The most Italian region of the Swiss, not only in terms of weather, is a varied symbiosis of high alpine landscapes and Mediterranean art of living.

Getting there: From Dortmund, for example, via Frankfurt am Main, Basel, Lucerne and the Furka Pass, it is around 740 kilometers to the Ticino canton border on the Nufenen Pass. If you want to save yourself the vignette for the motorway through Switzerland, you will also find cheaper, but at the same time more time-consuming alternative routes.

Travel time: In Ticino it is naturally often (already or still) warmer than on the north side of the Alps. Which makes a trip to the “Schweizer Sonnenstubchen” possible from April to November; However, in spring and autumn the passes will be closed in winter.


Motorbike tour Ticino


Klaus H. Daams

A total of 750 kilometers were covered on the journey.

Motorcycling: If Switzerland doesn’t exactly have the best reputation among motorcyclists, keyword speed traps and draconian penalties, we cannot confirm this after the trip to Ticino. Happily? In any case, local colleagues overtook us, and they should finally know, often with significantly more than the permitted 80 km / h; and there were plenty of speed cameras back home around Hagen. However, that should also be mentioned, an acquaintance recently reported of harassing controls at the Pragel Pass in the canton of Schwyz as well as of an ominous 2 x 2-second rule for overtaking, thanks to which the Graubunden police replenished the so-called penalty fund as planned in the budget.

Accommodation: If you can’t or don’t want to make it to Ticino in one go, you can spend the night in style west of the Nufenen Pass, still in Valais, in the historic hotel “Croix d’Or et Poste”, Furkastrasse 79, CH-3985 Munster (VS), phone 00 41/2 79 74 15 15, www.hotel-postmuenster.ch. The four-star hotel “Belvedere”, Via ai Monti della Trinità 44, CH-6600 Locarno, is recommended as a central quarter for day-trip stretches without luggage, or as a certified e-bike location, on an exposed hillside location with a view of Lake Maggiore , Telephone 00 41/9 17 51 03 63, www.belvedere-locarno.com

Activities: Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano promise bathing fun, the water temperatures there are well over 20 degrees from June to October. It is fresher, but also more adventurous, for example in the Valle Maggia and Valle Verzasca in the rocky bathing landscapes of the many rivers fed by white water (watch out for currents). The two large lakes offer good conditions for sailors and surfers; Divers get a special kick on the east bank of Lake Maggiore, where sunken wrecks await them near San Nazzaro. Stand-up paddling (SUP) is possible, for example, in the Ascona delta and near Agno on Lake Lugano. Top spots for bungee jumpers are the railway bridge at Intragna in Centovalli and the dam of Lake Vogorno in Valle Verzasca. While these two valleys with their impetuous waters are also suitable for adrenaline-soaked rafting tours, the Ticino near Bellinzona is suitable for more contemplative canoe trips. From family-friendly, leisurely to sporty, you can go on a mountain bike or racing bike on marked routes through the Mediterranean and Alpine landscapes of Ticino. Last but not least, the mountain world is of course a paradise for hikers, 2,000 kilometers of signposted paths lead to mostly easy tours and great panoramas. Big cinema every year at the beginning of August at the Locarno Film Festival. And Ascona becomes a Mecca for jazz fans at the end of June when the festival is going on in the old town streets. The Rombo Days, a traditional Harley get-together at the end of August on Locarno’s Piazza Grande, are just as eye-catching as the ears.


Motorbike tour Ticino


Klaus H. Daams

The white water bathing area in Val Bavona provides refreshment.

Surprising: There is a yoga hiking trail in Sass da Grum on Monte Gambarogno. The smallest municipality in Switzerland, with around a dozen inhabitants, is Corippo in the Verzasca Valley. Almost 3,000 winemakers, around 100 full-time professionals, grow wine, mostly Merlot, on 1,092 hectares of vineyards in Ticino. The northernmost rice-growing area in the world is located in the Maggia Delta, where rice beer is also brewed. A German-language island in this otherwise Italian-speaking canton is the Walser village of Bosco Gurin. Donkeys race once a year at the “Palio degli asini” in Mendrisio. Hermann Hesse spent a lot of time in Ticino, wrote, among other things, “Siddharta”.

Literature and Maps: The “Ticino” travel guide from Michael Muller Verlag for 16.90 euros provides detailed information, including everything you need to know about hiking and excursions, the country and its people, nature and culture. The road map with the largest scale is “My Ticino Holiday Map” by Hallwag, 1: 120,000, for a hefty 17.90 euros. Despite its smaller scale, “Moto Map Switzerland”, also by Hallwag, 1: 275,000, with individually removable, waterproof road books, is easier to read for 22.95 euros.

Web addresses:

  • www.myswitzerland.com
  • www.ticino.ch
  • www.ascona-locarno.com
  • www.luganoregion.com
  • www.lago-maggiore.de
  • www.luganer-see-info.de
  • www.trekking.ch
  • www.canoa.ch
  • www.supascona.ch
  • www.lugano-sup.ch
  • www.schweizmobil.ch
  • www.locarnofestival.ch
  • www.jazzascona.ch
  • www.harleyticino.ch

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