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I discovered the peculiarities of Monte San Giorgio by chance last spring. In order to prepare our journey through time through Switzerland, I clicked through various websites in search of inspiration for excursion tips around Lake Lugano. I was surprised to discover that, in addition to the castles and fortress walls of Bellinzona, Ticino has been home to a second UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003. Monte San Giorgio is located at the southern end of Lake Lugano and forms one of the world’s most important fossil deposits of the Middle Triassic, a geological period between 247 and 236 million years ago.

I was so fascinated by this that two weeks ago we took a closer look at this contemporary witness of a sea that is only remembered by fossil finds. Monte San Giorgio is not only a treasure trove for fossil hunters (although be careful, any finds may not be taken home) but above all an excellent panoramic mountain with a panoramic view over the Lake Lugano region.

For the ride to the starting point of the hike, Serpiano at 650 m above sea level, we choose the leisurely option. By boat from Lugano-Paradiso via the ultra-ugly Italian exclave of Campione (I apologize for the expression, but considering the ugly casino buildings, I can’t think of any milder words), under the dam, past Melide to Brusinio Arsizio. Within walking distance is the mini cable car, which takes us from 285 m above sea level to 400 metres in altitude to the Serpiano mountain station in four minutes. The cost of the one-way journey from Lugano Paradiso to Serpiano is CHF 14.20 (the GA travelcard is counted as a Half-Fare travelcard).

Once at the top, we briefly admire the magnificent view from the terrace of the Hotel Serpiano, where the strong haze interferes with the view despite the good weather. Afterwards we start the ascent towards the summit.

The trail leads through a dense forest. In a few places you can catch a glimpse of Lake Lugano through the leaves. Otherwise, we keep our eyes on the ground. After all, more than 10,000 different fossils, including 30 reptile and 80 fish species, have been found here. Maybe we’ll suddenly stumble across a fish skeleton. It is hard to imagine that parts of the elevation, which is so green today, should have once belonged to the African continental plate and that the whole thing would have grown up from the lagoon of the Thetys Sea.

The viewpoint from Monte San Giorgio is located at almost 1,100 m above sea level. The ascent cost one or two drops of sweat, as the path climbs steeply in places. On the summit, however, we are rewarded with a great panoramic view. If the haze hadn’t stubbornly covered everything around the Lake Lugano region with a fine layer of clouds, the distant view would probably have been more impressive. After a short stop, we continue our hike towards Meride.

The hiking trail leads through the middle of the pretty Meride. The village is located on a sunny plateau on the southern flank of Monte San Giorgio. The fossil museum is also located directly on the hiking trail, where the important finds can be admired.

Due to time constraints, we continue our hike towards the valley without stopping. The last few kilometres are once again a challenge, because the path is sometimes very narrow and steeply sloping through the forest. Shortly before the finish, a small mishap happens to us. We squandered the seven minutes left for the next train to Lugano with a wrong turn at the intersection in Capolago. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you: Turn right into St. Nuova and don’t get the idea of crossing under the tracks through the pedestrian underpass, as we did. By the way, Capolago is the starting point for a train ride to Monte Generoso. However, due to the construction site for the construction of the new mountain restaurant, operations will not resume until 2016 and are currently suspended.

The map shows our route. The route is about 10 km long and includes an ascent of 500 meters and a descent of about 870 meters in altitude. The pure runtime is around 3.5 hours. The cable car station in Brusinio (Brusino Arsizio Funivia stop) can be reached by boat or bus from Lugano (via Morcote or Capolago, depending on the connection). From Capolago-Riva S. Vitale (destination) to Lugano, the journey on the S10 takes 10 minutes (every half hour).