Explore Novazzano through its hiking trails, sacred buildings and the landscapes of the Mendrisiotto. Trails pass through the town centre and continue towards neighbouring municipalities; around the Valle della Motta, they also take in forests, wetlands and fields.
Novazzano lies at 346 metres above sea level on the border with Italy. Brusata is listed in the Swiss Inventory of Heritage Sites of National Importance (ISOS). As a reference point on the map, Novazzano is approximately three kilometres south of Mendrisio railway station as the crow flies. The station is on the Bellinzona–Lugano–Chiasso railway line and the Gotthard railway.
Hiking trails with different destinations
The Mendrisiotto hiking trail runs from the Penz–Ponte Faloppia area through the town centre and over Monte Morello to Brusata, in the direction of Prella di Genestrerio. Another route description, “Lungo il confine sud del Ticino”, passes through Brusata and then descends to the centre of Novazzano. Both routes pass through Brusata, but follow different itineraries.
Cross-border hiking trails connect Novazzano with the neighbouring municipalities of Ronago, Uggiate/Trevano and Bizzarone; they have been open to the public since 1999. The Novazzano Stations of the Cross have a sacred connection: the route includes 14 chapels, was laid out between 1936 and 1938, and leads to Monte della Croce. The number of chapels and the period in which the route was created give it a different character from the trails over Monte Morello or those leading to neighbouring municipalities.
Landscapes and trails in the Valle della Motta
The Valle della Motta forest reserve stretches across Novazzano, Coldrerio and Mendrisio. Its landscape includes forests, ponds, wetlands, streams, meadows and fields. The trail through Parco della Valle della Motta is three kilometres long; its main access point is in Novazzano. A woodland fitness trail with several exercise stations also offers an opportunity to work out outdoors.
A 1.5-kilometre cycle and pedestrian path runs between Novazzano and the Resiga area, passing mostly through green spaces. It is part of the R Me 2 Stabio–Chiasso–Seseglio regional cycle route. Check local signs and current trail conditions before setting out. The route to Resiga is distinct from the other hiking itineraries mentioned here.
Sacred architecture and local history
The collegiate church of Santi Quirico e Giulitta is a single-nave building dating from the late 17th century, designed by the architect Innocenzo Regazzoni of Balerna. The lower part of its bell tower dates back to the 12th century. Its furnishings also reveal distinctive spatial connections: an Arzo marble balustrade links the Madonna chapel on the right and the Chapel of the Cross on the left to a shared presbytery.
The Oratorio dell’Annunciata contains a 16th-century fresco. In the same century, its rectangular choir replaced the semicircular apse of the former parish church. The oratory also has a Baroque altar by the stucco artist Antonio Catenazzi of Mendrisio, dated 1711. The fresco, choir and altar represent different elements of its religious and architectural history.
The origins of the Oratorio della Santissima Trinità in Castel di Sotto date back to the Middle Ages and the Romanesque period. Its original apse, partly made of sandstone blocks, has been preserved; parts of the original roof and masonry are also visible. The Masseria della Pobbia is considered the most important evidence of Novazzano’s farming past. At the beginning of the new century, it was moved to the Ticino section of the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum.
Winegrowing in Novazzano
La Costa grows Merlot and eight other international grape varieties. Merlot is an important variety in the history of wine and viticulture in Ticino. La Costa is also a stop on the Bike&Wine experience; as details of the route may change, check its current itinerary before planning your trip.
Discover more destinations: Vacallo, Morbio Inferiore, Mendrisio, Castel San Pietro, Besazio, Capolago, Coldrerio, Riva San Vitale
Return to the main travel overview: Mendrisio.
