Hiking in Verbania – jungle feeling à la Piedmont

During our autumnal hiking weekend in Piedmont, we not only hiked on old paths through the Val Vigezzo, but also fought our way through the thicket above Lake Mergozzo. But first things first. The area around the Tosa Delta on Lake Maggiore is unexpectedly diverse. On the one hand, there is Verbania, the largest industrial and commercial center on Lake Maggiore, where we are greeted at the train station with the noise of the nearby quarry. On the other hand, there are numerous secluded campsites, idyllic shorelines and the Borromean Islands with their palaces and gardens that invite you to relax.

The starting point of our hiking tour is Suna. The ancient town now belongs to Verbania and is the first village on the northern shore of the Borromean Bay. The bright sunshine makes us forget all the autumn blues. Instead of getting straight to the socks, we start the hike with a stop at a beach café.

Fortified with cappuccino and brioche, we start the hike towards Cavandone. The path first leads through the narrow streets of Suna and then turns into an old mule track that leads uphill through sparse forests. In between, there are short breaks with beautiful panoramic views over Lake Maggiore. At the church of Cavandone, it is worth taking a detour up to the village. The small village offers beautiful photo opportunities with its cute flower decorated stone houses. With our walk through the village center we also made a cat happy. The red tiger strutted straight towards us, then confidently let us scratch its belly, which was stretched out into the sun.

Back on the hiking trail, we first descend over hill and dale through the forest until we reach Bieno. From here on, it takes some stamina. The hiking trail leads rather boringly on a tarred road past scattered settlements. Accompanied by a chorus of barking dogs, we get through this section and suddenly find ourselves in front of a seemingly impenetrable thicket.

With a little imagination, the hiking trail can still be glimpsed. Oha, welcome to the jungle! During the following hour, we fight our way step by step through the untamed nature far above Lake Mergozzo. At some points a machete would have been quite handy and in between I felt transported back to the jungle of Costa Rica. In addition to human-high blades of grass, streams and fallen trees also presented adventurous hurdles. So if the normal field-forest-meadow path is too boring for you and can no longer enjoy it from rootstocks, you will definitely find a new form of challenge here. At the latest at the time when we are standing in front of a raging brook and the path continues on the other side about 4 meters further down, I ask myself whether we are in the right place here. With a careful balancing act from one slippery stone to another, we successfully master this challenge as well.

At Lago Mergozzo, part of our hiking group allows itself a refreshing swim in the lake. For me, on the other hand, a gelati is enough for refreshment. The last stage leads along the path called Sentiero Azzuro above the lake through the forest back to Verbania. This route used to be used daily by Mergozzo’s stonemasons and, unlike the path on the other side of the lake, is in good condition – which means that blades of grass didn’t constantly block my view.

Practical tips for your hike from Verbania to Mergozzo

The map shows our route. The starting point of the hike is Suna, which can be reached by bus (line 3 direction Brissago) from the Verbania railway station (also the destination of the hike). The running time is around three hours. The hike first leads steadily uphill towards Cavandone and then slowly downhill to the shore of Lake Mergozzo. By the way, there are also beautiful bathing spots there.

Attention – the route in the following map is only shown schematically. Pay attention to the signs and follow the signs for route A0/A00 towards Mergozzo.

Key data of the tour Suna – Mergozzo – Verbania railway station

Starting point	Suna (Verbania)
Length	11.7 kilometers
Elevation gain	↗ 466 m 461 m ↘
Duration	3:30 p.m.
Destination	Bahnhof Verbania-Pallanza

You can find more tips for beautiful hikes on Lake Maggiore in this post: Hiking on Lake Maggiore