Ambrì-Piotta - Airolo
I did this hike on the 27th of July, 2025. It was one of those days where it was grey and rainy in most of Switzerland, so in the hope of a half day of sunshine, I went to Ticino. I had before hiked from Airolo to Lago Tremorgio in autumn and really liked the hike, so I decided to do a similar hike, although reversed and starting in Ambrì-Piotta.
Full route: Swisstopo
I went by train from Zürich to Ambrì-Piotta, where I started the hike directly from the train station. It was a nice morning and the weather looked promising as I made my way up. The first part of the trail was through forest, after which the landscape opened up, and I got the first views to the mountains on the other side of the valley.
The trail was almost empty and I only met a few other hikers during the entire day, which made it a very calm hike. It was nice to hike through the same areas I had been in before, as they looked similar, but also very different because of the different season.
After making it through the first part of the ascent, I came to the first lake of the day, Lago della Valletta. It had been raining quite a lot the week before I went here, so the area was filled with smaller ponds and wetter areas, but I found a relatively dry spot by the lake and took a break to enjoy the views.
After my break, I continued along the trail, which now ran along the bottom of the mountain walls. The views here were great, and I came by some smaller ponds along my way, which reflected the surrounding landscape very nicely.
The second lake of the day was Lago di Prato, which had a great green color, resembling the surroundings. I also took a smaller break here and really enjoyed the calmness of the area. The water was very clear, and had it been warmer, I would maybe have attempted a small swim.
Continuing away from Lago di Prato, I went through a larger open area, which I clearly remembered from the last time I had been here. The views over the area and the mountains above look really great, and also here, I came by smaller ponds.
As I had made my way over the open area, I looked back, and it was cool to see the entire trail I had just walked up to Lago di Prato and until here. This area is also really beautiful in autumn, and a place I can surely see myself coming back to again.
After the open area, the trail goes through forest, in which you can make a visit to the last lake on the trail, Lago di Ravina. I did not take a break here, but walked along the lake and back on the trail for the last kilometers to the Pesciüm cable car. I took the cable car down and walked back to Airolo train station, from where I continued back home to Zürich with the train.
