The starting point is Biasca, the center of the Ambrosian valleys Leventina, Riviera, and Blenio. On the lower slopes of the Brenno valley, vast chestnut forests extend; chestnuts, once considered a "poor man's fruit," are now often left on the ground. At Serravalle Castle, before Ludiano, Emperor Barbarossa stopped; the ruins still bear witness to his power. In the valley bathed in sunlight, agriculture is practiced on terraces. Further up, in an isolated position on an alpine pasture, stands one of the most impressive Romanesque buildings in Ticino, San Carlo di Negrentino, with its magnificent frescoes. Butterflies accompany us during the ascent as the landscape changes; in the peaceful alpine valley of Santa Maria, the fir trees smell of resin, and the tinkling of cowbells follows us up to Lukmanier Pass.
After passing Lukmanier Pass, we follow the artificial lake in Val Medel, where fragrant rhododendrons, dark wooden houses, and the rushing water in the Höllenschlucht gorge accompany us all the way to Disentis.