Blenio Valley (Valle di Blenio)

The Blenio Valley in northern Ticino extends from the Lukmanier Pass (1914 meters above sea level) down the valley to Biasca. In summer, hikers encounter well preserved old villages and art treasures on the valley trail from Biasca via Acquarossa to Olivone. The valley also offers a broad spectrum of cultural offerings, including a large number of museums and churches.

The Lukmanier Pass leads from the Blenio Valley to Disentis/Sedrun in Graubünden’s Vorderrhein Valley (Lower Rhine Valley); it is nowadays passable all year. The valley, with its roads over the Passo del Sole, Greina and Diesrut Pass, is among the Alpine routes that have been used for centuries. Although it is in a rather barren mountain world, the Blenio Valley has an almost southern character: even wine-growing has a long tradition here. The mountain farmers have turned the wild valley into a scenic jewel. Tasting some of the farmers’ delicious specialties is worth your while.

The valley has multifaceted cultural offerings. Among them the Museum of Blenio in Lottigna and the Cà da Rivöi in Olivone (ethnology; sacred art), the Chocolate Museum in Dangio, the mineral and fossil collection in Semione, and the Donetta Archives in Casserio/Corzoneso (Photography). There also are masterpieces of the Romanesque period in Lombardy, which include the church at Negrentino.