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Monte Sighignola: The Balcone d'Italia

2 minutes to read

Located at 1.4 km above sea level in the Province of Como, Lombardy Region, Lanzo D’Intelvi has no more than 1500 people living in the area, a total of 10 km2. This is a very quiet and peaceful area, reachable only with a car (when I lived in the city of Como, I used to go there in the early morning to enjoy the breathtaking view and the quiet and usually only two or three other visitors were there). From here you can climb along the summit of Mount Sighignola, for admiring Lake Lugano and Switzerland but remaining in Italy, thanks to one of the most scenic spots of our territory, also called the Balcone d'Italia.

Mount Sighignola is one of the main peaks of the Lugano alps whose sides are divided between Lanzo d’Intelvi and Arogno / Lugano, Swiss. You can reach Monte Sighignola both from the Switzerland side that starts from Lake Lugano, both from our side from Lake Como, by car or on foot. Indeed, for sports enthusiasts and lovers of hiking there are several paths to choose from. For example one of the most popular routes starts from Lanzo d'Intelvi and connects Mount Caprino to Sighignola, along which you can enjoy a magnificent view of Lake Lugano, the city of Lugano and the nearby mountains such as Monte Bre and San Salvatore. Along the way, you can stop at typical restaurants of Ticino. The history of the road which leads to the Belvedere of Sighignola is the story of a man in love with this area. In 1913, Luigi Vittorio Bertarelli, founder of the Italian Touring Club, expressed the desire to create a road to connect the village of Lanzo d'Intelvi to the Balcono d'Italia so that everyone could enjoy that show. The comfortable route, 5.5 km long, was inaugurated in 1914.

The rooftop terrace (1320m) offers a spectacular view of Lake Lugano, on a sunny day you can see almost all of Lake Lugano and the mountains, some over 4000 m high, forming the Alpine range, including Monte Rosa and the famed Matterhorn. Newly built, is a terrace in Swiss territory, with children's playground, a barbecue area and benches to admire the beautiful view.





The author

Eleonora Ruzzenenti

Eleonora Ruzzenenti

I am Eleonora, from Italy. I share with you a frenetic passion for travelling and an insatiable curiosity for different cultures. On itinari, you will find my stories about Italy.

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