Quinto Ti: Mountain Lakes, Trails and Cultural Heritage

Quinto is associated with Ticino and the Leventina. When planning your trip, mountain lakes and high-altitude landscapes are as much a focus as historic trails, churches and buildings. If you are looking for a hotel in Quinto Ti, your planned activities can help you choose the length and timing of your stay.

Choose hiking trails by time and route profile

The educational trail at Lago Ritom is listed as 11 kilometres long, with 485 metres of elevation gain and an estimated duration of three hours. Information panels explain features of the surrounding area along the way. The Three Lakes Trail between Ritom, Tom and Cadagno covers 12 kilometres and 780 metres of elevation gain; its estimated duration is four hours and 30 minutes. If you have more time, the Lago Ritom–Passo del San Gottardo trekking route is another option: it is listed as 16.8 kilometres long, with an estimated duration of six hours.

The three route descriptions can be compared by distance, elevation gain and time required, without treating the routes as equivalent. Quinto and the Leventina also have a dense network of hiking trails. Mountain biking routes include Route 65 Gottardo Bike, as well as Andermatt–Lago Ritom, Lago Ritom–Olivone and Olivone–Biasca.

Mountain Lakes and High-Altitude Landscapes

Lago Ritom covers 1.49 square kilometres and is the largest mountain lake in the canton of Ticino. Since the first dam was built in 1917, its water has been used to generate hydroelectric power. Val Piora stretches for more than eight kilometres and lies at an altitude of around 1,800 to 2,000 metres above sea level.

Lago di Cadagno is also remarkable: it consists of two distinct lakes, one above the other. A bacterial layer turns one body of water red; its thickness varies from 70 to 150 centimetres over the course of the year. For anyone interested in the area's natural history, this offers a clearly defined topic for trip planning alongside the lakes and mountain scenery.

The Ritom Funicular

The ride on the Ritom Funicular takes about twelve minutes and offers views of the valley, the Alta Leventina and the surrounding mountains. With a maximum gradient of 87.8 percent, it is one of the steepest funicular railways in the world approved for public transport. The railway was built in 1917 to transport people and materials during construction of the Ritom dam and the SBB hydroelectric power plant. The Ritom-Piora Funicular opened to the public in 1921; its operating schedule may vary by season. Check the timetable before travelling.

Churches, Buildings and Historic Trails

The historic Altanca–Piora trail connected the Alta Leventina with the alpine meadows around the lakes of Ritom, Tom and Cadagno.

The parish church of Saints Peter and Paul has been documented since 1227; archaeological investigations confirmed its foundation in the early Middle Ages. The Romanesque bell tower and several sculptures in the exterior walls have been preserved at the Chiesa dei SS. Pietro e Paolo. Inside are a carved and painted wooden altar from the late 17th century and a wooden statue of the Madonna from the 16th century.

The Oratorio San Carlo stands on a rise between Lago Cadagno and the basin of Lago Ritom. It was built in 1618 for religious reasons and is a landmark for hikers. The original Oratorio had a square floor plan, a plank ceiling, a vaulted choir and two wall altars. During restoration work at the Oratorio di San Martino, paintings from five different periods were uncovered; the statues of the Madonna and Saint Martin are works of 17th-century folk art. Typical wooden houses of the Gotthard region can be seen in all the districts of Quinto.

Visits and Products from Piora

Centrale FFS Ritom offers guided tours of the hydroelectric power plant for groups; arrangements must be made in advance. In addition to university courses, the Centro Biologia Alpina di Piora also caters to other school levels and the wider public. The activities offered include natural history stays, laboratory work, workshops and conferences. A guided visit on the microbiological trail around Lago Cadagno includes an explanatory visit to the CBA lasting around two hours; the trail is flat. Guided visits depend on staff availability. Check visiting options in advance.

Alpe Piora has an alpine cheese dairy and a maturing cellar, where around 3,000 wheels of Piora alpine cheese are made each year. Production volumes may change. Prosciutto dell’Alpe Piora is matured at an altitude of more than 2,000 metres above sea level. The Quinto pastry known as “Rin” used to be baked every Christmas at the Antico forno di Deggio. It resembles a variation of braided bread.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Ronco, Altanca, Anzonico, Dalpe, Sobrio, Campello, Airolo, Cavagnago.

Go to the main travel overview: Leventina.