Faido is a village located in the green valley of Leventina, in the canton of Tessin. In the 19th century, after the development of the transport infrastructure, including the Gotthard railway line, this beautiful place began to bustle with life. The Milanese aristocracy and upper middle class came here for holidays. In terms of price and reputation, the Faido rivalled St Moritz itself.
The much-loved Faido today
All that remains of those exciting, glamorous times are the old Art Nouveau houses and majestic hotels, whose doors have long since closed and whose signs are rusting.
However, the place is still very attractive and has much to offer nature lovers. This is why I visit it from time to time and find new ways to wander.
Piumogna waterfall
At the very beginning of this route, just outside the town, you pass the first waterfall of the Piumogna river, which is 43 metres high. However, given the direction of the river, this is actually the last waterfall, just before the stream flows into the Ticino River.
Indeed, the source of the Piumogna River is Lago di Morghirolo, a lake hidden high among the mountains.
A nature reserve
I must admit that it was quite cold on the trail in November, and the mountain streams were hardly conducive to getting our feet wet in them. On the other hand, in summer, you won’t see steep rock faces covered from top to bottom with icicles.
This scenery, as if straight from the land of ice, can be seen in the nature reserve through which the route runs. The first signs indicating that you are in a protected area can be seen behind the gate of the farm where the Piana Selva cable car station is operated.
Following a forest path beside a mountain stream, you finally reach the village of Dalpe, situated on a mountain sun terrace. The path continues upwards to the bridge at Polpiano station, the highest point on the route. From here you have a magnificent view of, among other things, the summit of Pizzo Forno (2’906 m).
After the bridge, the trail goes all the way down to the Faido itself.
