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Follow the emperors’ footprints in the Blenio Valley
Follow the emperors’ footprints in the Blenio Valley
The River Brenno flows through the Blenio Valley which extends from Biasca (301 metres of altitude) up to the Lukmanier Pass (1916 metres of altitude). Thanks to its position from north to south it benefits from sun rays the whole day long, which brought it the name of “Valle del Sole” (Sun Valley). Even during the winter months, the sun reaches all of the villages of the valley at least for some moments a day.
Thanks to routes over the Lukmanier Pass, the Passo del Sole, the Greina Pass or the Diesrut Pass the valley has been crossed since early days. Indeed, it is assumed that already the Celts used the routes over the Greina Pass and the Diesrut Pass.
The names of villages such as Castro, Campo, Ponto Valentino, Aquila and Lucomagno (lucus magnus = grosser Wald) indicate that also Romans left their mark in the valley. On their way to Italy, later also emperors of the Holy Roman Empire such as Otto I, Henry I or Frederick I Barbarossa crossed the Blenio Valley.
Once the route over the Gotthard Pass had been built around 1300, the Lukmanier Pass lost its important role for the transit traffic. Nonetheless, there is a well-built road from Olivone to Disentis in the canton of Graubünden which normally is open to traffic also during the winter.
The best way to get to know the Blenio valley is still on Shanks’s pony. A network of trails which extends over more than 500 kilometres leads through meadows and forests and up to the Rheinwaldhorn, which has an altitude of 3402 and is therefore the highest peak in Ticino.
Moreover there are many trails in the bottom of the valley which are walkable year-around. One of the hikes leads from Biasca to Olivone and runs past numerous places of interest, which are certainly worth a visit: the ruin of the castle Serravalle in Semione, the Roman Church San Carlo in Negrentino and the former seat of the reeves in Lottigna, which also hosts a museum dedicated entirely to the Blenio valley and its history.
Thanks to routes over the Lukmanier Pass, the Passo del Sole, the Greina Pass or the Diesrut Pass the valley has been crossed since early days. Indeed, it is assumed that already the Celts used the routes over the Greina Pass and the Diesrut Pass.
The names of villages such as Castro, Campo, Ponto Valentino, Aquila and Lucomagno (lucus magnus = grosser Wald) indicate that also Romans left their mark in the valley. On their way to Italy, later also emperors of the Holy Roman Empire such as Otto I, Henry I or Frederick I Barbarossa crossed the Blenio Valley.
Once the route over the Gotthard Pass had been built around 1300, the Lukmanier Pass lost its important role for the transit traffic. Nonetheless, there is a well-built road from Olivone to Disentis in the canton of Graubünden which normally is open to traffic also during the winter.
The best way to get to know the Blenio valley is still on Shanks’s pony. A network of trails which extends over more than 500 kilometres leads through meadows and forests and up to the Rheinwaldhorn, which has an altitude of 3402 and is therefore the highest peak in Ticino.
Moreover there are many trails in the bottom of the valley which are walkable year-around. One of the hikes leads from Biasca to Olivone and runs past numerous places of interest, which are certainly worth a visit: the ruin of the castle Serravalle in Semione, the Roman Church San Carlo in Negrentino and the former seat of the reeves in Lottigna, which also hosts a museum dedicated entirely to the Blenio valley and its history.
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