Ridge Hike to Monte Lema

For me, the hike from Monte Lema to Monte Tamaro is one of the most beautiful in Ticino. It offers a spectacular view. To the west, behind Lake Maggiore, you can see the Monte Rosa massif with the highest mountains in the Alps. In the video, you can see the snow-capped mountains rising above the clouds. To the north, you can see as far as the Po Valley with Milan. To the east, behind Lake Lugano, you can see Monte Generosso rising. The hike is 13.5 km long and you have to overcome 800 meters in altitude. The hike is made easier by the two cable cars at the beginning and end. Between 5.15 p.m. and 6 p.m., a bus transfer back to the starting station is offered. The trips are not cheap (Swiss prices), but they are worth every cent.

We drove to the "Rivera" valley station by car and then took the train up to the "Alpe Foppa". Of course, the first thing to do is to admire the church of Santa Maria Degli Angeli.
-- Quote from Google Earth
Designed by world-renowned architect Mario Botta, the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli is a masterpiece of contemporary architecture, with paintings by Enzo Cucchi. A visit to the church is almost a "must", the mighty stone fortress on the mountain spur is more than a meditation room and offers the opportunity to read the surrounding landscape in a completely new way. The church is dedicated to Santa Maria degli Angeli. The building was erected between 1992 and 1994 and follows a new design approach for a place of worship. Built of porphyry, it stands on the edge of a slope from which an exceptional panoramic view opens. The artistic design by Enzo Cucchi extends to the two main rooms: the ceiling of the transition, which is decorated with an elongated cypress, and the heart of the church. The intense blue apse takes up the theme of the offered hands, complemented by a series of twenty-two panels with Marian motifs above the windows.
-- end quote
The whole tour is a superlative and impresses with the all-round view. So plan nice weather.
In the high season, however, a lot of hiking traffic must also be expected. So choose the right time.
On Monte Lema you have to reckon with a crowded restaurant and not very motivated service. So it's not certain that you'll be able to quench your thirst before you have to take the train down into the valley. Because even there it means standing in line.
If you have arrived safely down in Miglieglia, it may well be that the queue for a bus to return to "Rivera" continues. We therefore recommend planning the tour well, inquiring about the times of the trains and buses and planning enough reserve time so that a missed train, bus or train connection does not spoil the beautiful day.

very pretty here, very pretty