Cardada-Cimetta hike pairs mountain views with a family-friendly stop
Tuesday 6th October 2026 on 16:15 in
Switzerland
A hike from Cardada to Cimetta offers views over Lake Maggiore and the Maggia Valley, Swiss broadcaster SRF reports. On clear days, visitors can see both the Dufourspitze, Switzerland’s highest peak, and Lake Maggiore, the country’s lowest point.
The journey begins with a cable car from Orselina to Cardada, Locarno’s local mountain. From the mountain station, a chairlift continues towards Cimetta, while hikers can walk the route. A viewpoint a few minutes from the station has a large playground that SRF describes as a popular stop for families.
From forest paths to alpine meadows
The trail first climbs on a broad path, then follows a white-red-white marked mountain route behind the chairlift. It passes through open woodland before the landscape opens towards the Maggia Valley and the path winds up to Alp Vegnasca.
Cows now graze on the meadows at Alp Vegnasca. Skiing there ended in 2019, and most traces of the former ski area have disappeared.