Linescio combines a hiking route with a historic settlement landscape shaped by terraces and dry-stone walls. Almost 25 kilometres of dry-stone walls are part of the landscape. In the village, you’ll find different settlement patterns, a church with frescoes and traces of life in the hamlets in times gone by. The Linescio–Campo Vallemaggia route starts at the village church and passes stone houses and an impressive staircase between high dry-stone walls.
Terraces and historic settlement centres
In the main settlement centre, public buildings dating from the 19th century line the road; on the slopes, buildings with a strongly rural character from the 17th and 18th centuries define the landscape. Below the main centre lies Canton Zott, a particularly compact settlement cluster whose buildings mostly date from the 17th and 18th centuries. The two areas illustrate different forms of settlement, without requiring a lengthy overview.
Above the cantonal road, steps provide access to the terraced slopes. Some of the dry-stone walls contain niches for beekeeping. Munt is also defined by its walls: the hamlet lies at an altitude of 1,000 to 1,200 metres and has around 3,500 metres of dry-stone walls. In Bola, at about 1,000 metres, old chestnut trees stand; the village was inhabited year-round. There are 39 buildings there in total, including houses and stables.
Church, old road and hamlets
The church of San Remigio was consecrated in 1640 and extensively remodelled and enlarged between 1817 and 1819. Its frescoes are by Giacomo Antonio Pedrazzi and date from 1875. A 18th-century statue of the Madonna stands in the right side chapel. The cemetery is also a notable architectural ensemble: enclosed by walls, it has a chapel decorated with frescoes on the axis of the entrance.
Along the old road through Linescio di fuori, wayside shrines covered entirely with frescoes line the route. An old washhouse stands beneath a gabled roof and is built against a terrace retaining wall. Traces of an old rural settlement survive at Camvera, which was permanently inhabited until the 18th century. The bridge Il ponte, dated to 1700, provides access to the hamlet of FaĂŻd and to onward paths to Cevio and the mountains of Morella.
Faïd has abandoned buildings dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, including tower houses with wraparound balconies, large dry-stone stables, and a chapel or oratory. The buildings bear witness to the area’s former year-round settlement. These historic details add the question of how the hamlets were once used to the picture of the terraces and settlement centres.
Plan your hike and journey
The Linescio–Campo Vallemaggia hiking route is 10.1 kilometres long and takes about four hours. It follows a trail marked in white and red and offers insight into local history and culture. Markings and route descriptions may change; check them locally before setting out. A separate estimate concerns Munt: the hamlet can be reached on foot in about an hour. This estimate refers to the walk to Munt, not the longer route to Campo Vallemaggia; also take current trail conditions into account.
From Locarno, Linescio can be reached by public bus via Cevio. Route 331 continues to the Linescio, Paese stop. Check the timetable before travelling. This lets you search for a hotel for your stay that suits your planned dates, while keeping the timetables in mind.
Discover more destinations: Cevio, Cavergno, Lavizzara, Maggia, Avegno Ti, Menzonio, Piano Di Peccia, Gordevio.
For the broader travel overview: Vallemaggia.
