Mendrisiotto
Intro
Located in the southernmost corner of Switzerland, the Mendrisiotto Region extends up to the Italian border. This important commercial and tourist transit zone offers a vast hilly landscape away from the expressway and is therefore ideal for hiking and biking tours. The “grotti” – traditional small inns – are a source of welcome refreshment.
Mendrisiotto has become an important transit area, thanks to the development of the transport infrastructure and the proximity to urban centers in northern Italy. Away from the expressway you will find a lush nature paradise - A verdant green hilly landscape, which is partially a wine-growing region, but is also blessed with vast nature parks and imposing gorges. Picturesque villages dot the rural countryside and form a contrast to the border city of Chiasso.
The far-flung hilly terrain is well-suited for bicycling and hiking tours. From Monte San Giorgio (1097 meters), listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, you will enjoy a sweeping view of Lake Lugano and the Alps. On the Nature Trail, geological and paleontological peculiarities (in the earth’s geological past, a subtropical sea with a rich fauna existed here), as well as the flora and fauna of the mountain, are described. The best view is obtained on Monte Generoso (1704 meters), the highest mountain around Lake Lugano. A 40-minute ride with the cogwheel train takes you to the peak. The mountain offers a plethora of leisure activities, among them a nature trail and a planet trail.
In the Geo-Park of the Breggia Gorge in the Muggio Valley one can admire a rich spectrum of natural bio-spheres on an area of about 65 hectares and a length of 1.5 kilometers: Rapids, waterfalls, diverse stone formations and a myriad of animal and plant species.
In the lively cities of Chiasso and Mendrisio you will find numerous events and sights: Churches, palaces and museums, but also music festivals and folk festivals such as the vintner festivals and chestnut celebrations. One of Switzerland’s few factory stores stands in Mendrisios Fox-Town. In this vast shopping center many international brands offer their products at factory prices.
