Today we took a FANTASTIC hike from Curzutt to the Tibetan bridge and down to Sementina. To see what our day was like, here is a link to a great video on the making of the bridge and scenes of the area:
http://www.curzutt.ch/index.php?node=379&lng=4&rif=d480c08d4a
Curzutt was an abandoned stone village on the mountain side above Bellinzona. It has been carefully restored and now has a beautiful hostel and award winning restaurant. The cable car from the town of Monte Carasso makes a stop here. We took this cable car (a little shortcut for us older people) to start at this higher elevation.
The cable car stop in Curzutt. Notice how you exit on to the platform. There are nets below in case you fall!
Many old building were built with the pietra secca method - which means dry stone - no mortar!
On the stone path from Curzutt to the little church of San Bernardo. See that meadow in the distance on the other slope? The Tibetan bridge connects right below and left of that meadow. We will need to hike up quite a ways (believe or not) and then down some, to reach the bridge. It takes us 1 hour 15 minutes to reach the bridge.
Most of the path is made up of stone set into the ground. Many mountain paths are like this, and are very old! How much work did THIS take!!!
It's a well marked trail!
San Bernardo church. It was not open, and a bit difficult to take a picture with the sun in the way - not to mention I was on a steep slope trying not to fall off the mountain! The date above said 1500 something!
Our first glimpse of the bridge! We still have about 20 - 25 minutes to go.
Zooming in a bit.
The stone path continues in one way or another. Watch where you step! Don't fall off!
There's me, teeny tiny towards the right. The path continues up the stone steps on the left.
We have arrived! Yippee! Rick is afraid and I'm trying to calm him down.
The black dot on the bridge is a man.
A little panoramic. Here you can see that meadow that I was talking about in an earlier picture.
Sign by the bridge. We took the straight line cable car above Monte Carasso to the first stop. Then we followed the red line to the left and to the bridge and on to the other side and all the way down!
We began with the cable car at 10am and we were down at the bus stop at 3pm - including our lunch stop!
Ready to set foot on the bridge. It's so well supported that it hardly moves. Just a little from the wind.
I was a bit afraid to take pictures on the bridge, fearing that, of all places, I might drop my iPhone and it would fall through the crack to the valley below! I actually sat down on the bridge to CAREFULLY take out my phone!
We've come this far - looking back to where we started.
It got VERY windy in the middle!!
Looking down towards the main valley - the town of Giubiasco in the distance.
We are now on the other side! More people begin their walk across - with their brave dog!
View of the other direction from the bridge.
Here they come with the dog!
Another angle.
Everywhere in the mountains you see old stone homes. These, I'm sure, will be renovated one day. The orange signs are hiking signs.
We are taking a rest and enjoying the view!
(that's not Rick in the picture)
Had to have at least one picture of me by the bridge - proof I was there!
Panoramic of the bridge with our hiking path continuing. This part had a whole new path made just to get to the bridge. Unfortunately it didn't show up in the picture, but between the 2 bunches of trees on the right half of the picture, there was a view of the San Bernardo church on the other side - to give you an idea of how far we had to hike from there to the bridge - 1 hour.
The new path on the other side. That is a stone trench across the path - it funnels the water off.
We come upon meadows and homes way up here during our walk. There is so much you never see from below.
See these stacks of branches? The Swiss actually CLEAN UP their forests! Yes, the woods are filled with neat stacks of branches which they will use for firewood.
We hike to a little settlement and the church of San Defendente. The beautiful meadow full of flowers even had the grass cut where the path should be. How perfect can these mountains be?
We stop here to eat lunch under the tree on the right.
San Defendente
Enjoying lunch!
From this point on we hike the steep zig zag down the mountain. It is entirely a stone path that was placed so many years ago. The valley is in view.
As we get lower down the side of the mountain, more houses appear and we walk through the vineyards. The stone path is overgrown with grass here.
Winding down through more vineyards
We took the bus into Bellinzona, enjoyed a cool drink, and a view of the second castle here above the town.
What a fantastic day! Our entire trek, including lunch - 5 hours.
Pure Switzerland!!!!
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