Monte San Giorgio
1,097 m
Switzerland
Also known as მონტე-სან-ჯორჯიო, Монте-Сан-ДжорджиоAlso known as
მონტე-სან-ჯორჯიო · Монте-Сан-Джорджио
- Elevation
- 1,097 m
- Prominence
- 758 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Mar–May
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1An easy, shaded mule track from the village of Meride (about 580 m) past the chapel and shelter at Cassina to the small summit church, about 520 m of ascent and 1½–2 hours. Can be extended into a loop on the geo-palaeontological trail through the UNESCO fossil site.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 3.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +517 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,098 m
- Time Up
- 2h 08m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 1h 27m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the church of San Silvestro in Meride, a few minutes from the Meride Paese bus stop and the fossil museum. The cobbled Salita San Silvestro (waymarked path 52) climbs at a steady gradient and soon becomes a wide forest mule track. The first part is the steepest; at about 850 m it reaches a level wooded ridge and follows it to the clearing at Cassina (883 m), with the chapel of Sant'Uberto and a shelter, about 45 minutes from Meride. A short path right of the chapel leads in a few minutes to a fossil excavation site. From Cassina follow the yellow signs for San Giorgio; the mule track continues for about 35 minutes, steeper at the end, to the summit (1,097 m) with its small church, which has a room open as a shelter. Signposts in Meride give 1 h 40 to the top. Descend the same way, or follow the yellow signs west towards Serpiano, Crocifisso and back to Meride on part of the geo-palaeontological trail, adding about an hour with information panels on the old bituminous shale mines and fossil sites.
Start
Meride Paese582 m
- Train to Mendrisio, then PostBus to Meride Paese.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meride Paese → Monte San Giorgio | 3.3 | 517 | 0 | 2h 08m |
Waypoints
- Station: Meride Paese582 m
- Trailhead: Chiesa di San Silvestro608 m
- Feature: Cassina900 m
Chapel of Sant'Uberto and a shelter; detour to a fossil excavation site
- Summit: Monte San Giorgio1,097 m
Key Passages
- Cobbled Salita San Silvestro
- Cassina chapel and fossil excavation site
- Steeper final climb to the summit church
Equipment
0/3 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
A wooded 1,097 m pyramid above Lake Lugano on the Swiss–Italian border, and a UNESCO World Heritage site for its exceptional Middle Triassic marine fossils. An easy mule track from Meride leads to a small summit church with wide views over the lake.
Monte San Giorgio rises between the southern arms of Lake Lugano in the Mendrisiotto, the southernmost corner of Ticino. Its steep north face drops to the lake at Brusino Arsizio; the gentler south side falls towards Meride and the Po plain. The mountain looks modest, but its rock layers span more than 100 million years and contain one of the best records of marine life from the Middle Triassic, about 240 million years ago: marine reptiles, fish, ammonites and rare land animals such as Ticinosuchus. The Swiss part was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2003 and the Italian side added in 2010.
As a hike it is short and easy. Mule tracks from Meride, Serpiano and the Italian villages reach the summit church in 1–2 hours, and the geo-palaeontological trail circles the mountain with information panels on the fossil sites and the old bituminous shale mines. The summit gives a view over Lake Lugano, Morcote, Monte San Salvatore and the Malcantone.
Combine the walk with the fossil museum in Meride, redesigned by Mario Botta, and the reconstructed medieval village at Tremona-Castello.
Climbing Notes
An easy half-day walk on wide tracks, suitable for families and possible all year in snow-free conditions. Allow 1½–2 hours up from Meride and about 3–3½ hours for the loop returning via Serpiano. In summer start early or late, as the south side is hot; in winter the mountain is usually snow-free and a good option when the Alps are snowbound. Visit the fossil museum in Meride before or after the walk.
History
People have lived on the mountain since the Neolithic; the hilltop settlement at Tremona-Castello was occupied until the 14th century. Fossils were first noted in 1847. Bituminous shale was mined from 1908 until the 1950s to make the medicinal oil 'saurol', and the mines led Bernhard Peyer to the great fossil finds of the 1920s and 1930s; Peyer found Ceresiosaurus calcagnii at Acqua del Ghiffo in 1931. More than 21,000 specimens had been collected by 2010. The Swiss part became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2003, extended to Italy in 2010. The Meride fossil museum opened in 1973 and reopened in a Botta redesign in 2012.
Season
Best Mar–May- January: Good
- February: Good
- March: Best (best window)
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Good
- July: Possible
- August: Possible
- September: Good
- October: Best
- November: Best
- December: Good
- Jan
- Usually snow-free; short days
- Feb
- Usually snow-free
- Mar
- Spring flowers in the woods
- Jun
- Warm; start early
- Jul
- Hot and humid; thunderstorms
- Aug
- Hot and humid; thunderstorms
- Oct
- Autumn colours and clear views
- Dec
- Occasional snow
Access & Permits
- Rules
- UNESCO World Heritage site (fossil sites and excavations): stay on the paths around excavation areas
- Getting There
Mendrisio
Milan Malpensa (MXP) or Lugano (LUG)
- Train to Mendrisio, then PostBus to Meride Paese
- By car: from Mendrisio to Meride; also road access to Serpiano from Brusino Arsizio