Leaving Bellinzona and its towers, you head towards Locarno following the road that runs along the Ticino river and crosses the garden of the canton of Ticino, the Magadino Plain.
Arriving at Riazzino, following the 311 signage, you cross the Magadino Plain horizontally to reach the village of Quartino. From this point, following the roads that skirt the mountain northwards, you return towards the capital, passing through Contone, Cadenazzo, Sant'Antonino, Camorino, and Giubiasco.
With a detour at Camorino, it is possible to take the hillside road that leads to the forts known as the "hunger" forts, built between 1853 and 1854. The first tower called "Ai Scarsitt" has been restored and converted into an exhibition space; the other four forts have been connected by identifying an educational-hiking route and putting up the related detailed signage.