Published on: 16 March 2013 | Last updated: 25 December 2019
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| Distances | |
|---|---|
| Luino to Ponte Tresa | 12 kms |
| Ponte Tresa to Porto Ceresio | 10 kms |
| Porto Ceresio to Lugano | 25 kms |
| Lugano to Porlezza | 15 kms |
| Porlezza to Menaggio | 12 kms |
The next section of the route starts with a vaporetto (boat) ride from Cannobio to Luino. From Luino there’s a short sharp climb and then a descent down into Ponte Tresa on the border with Switzerland - having briefly crossed over into Switzerland, the route cross back again. From Ponte Tresa it follows the southern edge of the lake via Porto Ceresio.
During the war, the lake was an important route for people escaping into neutral Switzerland. At Porto Ceresio look out for the memorial (in pink granite on the right) to two members of the Guardia di Finanza (customs officers), Domenico Amato and Tullo Centurioni. During the second world war, they helped hundreds of Jewish refugees to escape into Switzerland. Both were captured and died in the Mauthausen concentration camp.
Crossing over the border again, there’s the station for the mountain railway to the top of the Monte Generoso. The next stretch along the eastern shore of the lake is less inspiring (the road shadows the motorway) but you are soon onto the causeway across the lake and into Lugano. The lakeside road continues on from Lugano back into Italy. Note there are some short tunnels on this stretch but nothing too problematic.
At Porlezza there’s a short traffic-free cycleway to the Lago di Piano. The cycleway follows the old railway line that once linked Porlezza with Menaggio. At the moment, it ends at Bene Lario, but when I rode the route (2012) there was work going on building new stretches of cycleway. The road itself, however, was fine.
Options
You could ride north via Ascona and Locarno (stick to the lakeside to avoid the tunnel at Ascona.
There is an alternative, but longer, route via the Lago di Ghirla, that uses a couple of cycleways. There’s more information and gps files on piste-ciclabili.com (here and here).
Day-rides
There’s a lovely day ride that you can do from Cannobio to Santa Maria Maggiore and then through the Valle dei Pittori (see my article here).
Connections
The route connects with the Swiss national cycle network (Route 3 - Basel - Chiasso) just outside Lugano.
More information
Places to stay
Transport and services
Articles in this series
- Tour of the western lakes: Overview
- Western Lakes – Part 1
- Western lakes – Part 2
- Western lakes – Part 3
- Western lakes – Part 4
- Western Lakes – Part 5
Get in touch
Please get in touch if you find any errors in the information, or if there’s anything, good or bad, that you’d want other cyclists to know.
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