Lugano to Gandria, Olive Tree Walk and Monte Bre
A traveler plans to visit Lugano for 4 days in September and wants to know if the walk from Lugano to Gandria is easy, as they prefer flat paths due to being seniors. They also ask if they can take the funicular to Monte Bre, enjoy a meal at a Grotti, and return by boat all in one day.
- The Olive Walk from Gandria to Lugano is mostly easy with minor elevation changes and very scenic, making it enjoyable for leisurely walkers.
- Take the #2 bus from Lugano to get to the start of the Olive Walk easily.
- For a round trip to Gandria, check the summer boat timetable in April for accurate scheduling.
- Consider having lunch at Ristorante Rocco Bella in Gandria for good food with a lovely lake view.
- If you visit Gandria, you can catch a bus back to Casserate for the funicular to Monte Bre.
AI-generated summary-
Happy New Year,
We will be in Lugano in September for 4 days. I have read it is a nice walk from Lugano to Grandia, we are seniors who like to walk but don’t do hills anymore, is this an easy walk, distance is not a problem. We plan on taking the funicular, round trip, to Monte Bre, same walk? Have a bite to eat at at a Grotti and take boat back to Lugano. Is this doable all in one day?
Thank you
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We took a boat to Gandria and did the Olive Walk back to Lugano last October. It is an easy walk with a few minor elevation changes, and is easy to follow. At least for the first 1/2 of it on the way back to town, then it kind of disappears in Castagnola. And you’re in a neighborhood of Lugano. We finally asked a resident how to get back to town and they directed us to a nearby bus stop, which took us directly back to the town center on bus #2. I’m not sure of the walking route from Lugano center to the beginning of the Olive Walk, perhaps others will join in with that information.
We had lunch after getting off the boat in Gandria at the Ristorante Rocco Bella , which is mere steps from the dock. Lovely outdoor terrace overlooking the lake. Good food too.
We didn’t go to Mt. Bre, so I have no advice for that.
Thank you Cabin Jon, it doesn’t sound like you were too impressed with the walk. Maybe we should just take the boat round-trip to Grandia for a walk around there and have lunch. I hope others will have some more advise.
Sorry if I gave that impression. We actually enjoyed the non-city part of the Olive Walk very much. From Gandria, it winds through the small village, then follows and winds around the lake shore through olive trees, and the occasional home before finally “disappearing.” There are many scenic stops and photo ops along the way, and the homes offer unanticipated surprises with flower arrangements, sculptures, and other outdoor art work. It really is quite lovely. And there is a rest stop or two along the way where you can sit down or fill your water bottle.
According to the SBB app & map, you could catch the #2 bus from the Lugano bus station headed toward Capolinea (where we finally caught it back to town on our exploration) and get off there, or better yet get off at the S Domenico stop (2nd to last stop before Capolinea) or the Posta stop (next to last stop before Capolinea). Walk downhill towards the lake until you hit the Via Cortivo, turn left, and you’ll essentially run into the Olive Walk along the lake shore. At least that’s what it looks like on the SBB route map. I’m probably making it sound more complicated than it is.
If you get to Gandria and have lunch, you may be able to catch a bus back to Casserate (8 minutes) for the funicular up to Mt. Bre.
Hi Traveler2
The Olive Tree Walk, to include the funicular round trip is doable in a day.
More information can be found here:
With regard to the boat back to Lugano from Gandria, unfortunately the summer timetable is not published yet, this should be available at the end of April.
https://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakelugano/gettingthere
I hope this helps, feel free to reach out if you have any further questions.
Best wishes,
Yolanda
CabinJon thank you for additional information and Yolanda for two great links. I appreciate the time you took to answer. I’ll keep an eye out for the summer boat schedule.
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