Easy hikes and walks in Moësa

Beautiful walk, 11 km through pines and pastures.

The San Bernardino Pass connects the Misox with the Rheinwald and is located at 2,066 meters. At the pass summit, there is a restaurant and a bus stop, making the location easily accessible. The open high mountain landscape with small lakes and wide open spaces is well suited for a break.

Directly in the village lies the historic mineral spring of San Bernardino. The crystal-clear water has been emerging here for centuries and can still be tapped fresh today. A short stop is worthwhile – not only for the history, but also for a refreshing break at the beginning or end of your tour.

The stone-paved pass route connects the San Bernardino Pass at 2065 meters with the village of San Bernardino. The Romans already used this pass crossing.

Hotel Bellevue, San Bernardino since 1858 The Hotel Bellevue was first mentioned in 1858 and was built by the landowner Gaspare Motto, a landowner from Mesocco. Motto built the mineral spring building together with Paolo Battaglia. At the beginning of the 19th century, the resort hosted numerous spa guests, mainly from nearby Ticino, Lombardy, and Piedmont. The Desteffanis family is also mentioned, but the details of their management are unclear (probably around 1870). Luigi Toschini (1832–1915) bought the hotel in 1896 and later handed over the business to his sons Samuele (1857–1943) and Giovanni (1873–1925) and their respective families. At that time, the Bellevue's capacity was limited, consisting of 18 rooms (for tourists) and 4 for staff. A special feature of the hotel's cellar was a room called "giazéira" in the local dialect, which was filled with snow and ice in the spring to keep drinks and food cool. In 1932, the hotel was sold to the Thorner-Blatter family from the Canton of Bern, who are also the current owners of Villa Flora. In 1937, the Thorner-Blatter family decided to sell the building to the Studer family, who later resold it to Mr. Oldenburg. In 1955, the Thorner-Blatter family repurchased the hotel. In 1965, the Schmidlin family bought the hotel and ran it until 1984. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Schmidlin family was known in San Bernardino for breeding several St. Bernard dogs, which lived in the garden next to the hotel, where the terrace is today. The Schmidlin family later bred up to 15 St. Bernards and became the symbol of their business during those years. In 1984, Hans and Meta Wellig, the former owners of the Hotel National Ravizza, purchased the Hotel Bellevue with the intention of continuing the family tradition. Text / Source: Hotel Bellevue, San Bernardino https://bellevue-sanbernardino.ch/

S.Bernardo Mineral Water, San Bernardino Quality water since 1926 S.Bernardo represents the perfect union of quality, tradition, and elegance. Its spring originates in the Maritime Alps, at an altitude of 1,300 m, in a healthy and unspoiled environment. Text / Source: S. Bernardo S.p.A., Via O. Rovere, 41 – 12075 Garessio (CN) https://www.sanbernardo.it/azienda-san-bernardo/

Self-service Hofladen. A very well-placed stop to refuel before continuing on to the climb to San Bernardino Pass. Yoghurt, cheese, sausages, ice cream... Yoghurt is really delicious. If you are lucky, you might meet a super friendly feline friend, which is happy to share some of the delicious yoghurt ☺️

The lake can be bypassed with a mountain bike. Two gates can only be bypassed by stopping and pushing. :-(