The best gravel rides around Gemonio

Attention, for e-bikes it is not passable coming from the south despite the prolonged drought in summer 2026. The approach is overgrown, resulting in scratched legs. Perhaps a highlight for the hardcore mountain biker, not recommended for the normal biker. Better to take a detour via the Tobacco Museum.

MTB/gravel route

Convenient, protected connection. Interesting views of the railway bridge and old factories, now, I fear, abandoned to their fate.

Cycle path legacy of the World Championships.

A beautiful glacial lake. Water lilies bloom in season.

Santa Caterina del Sasso, Leggiuno Santa Caterina del Sasso Ballaro (actually Eremo di Santa Catarina del Sasso Ballara) was originally a hermitage. It is now located in the Italian municipality of Leggiuno in the province of Varese. In the 13th century, Dominicans converted the building into a monastery. This is a destination for many pilgrimages. It is located directly on Lake Maggiore and, like many former hermitages, is built on a rock in a location that is difficult to access. Construction began in the early 13th century, but the main work dates back to around 1300/1320. The core of the complex is the small church dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria. The nickname "del sasso" means that the building stands on a rock; "Sasso Ballaro" refers to a rockslide in 1640 that caused significant damage. "Sasso ballaro" roughly translates as "wobbly rock." According to tradition, the merchant Alberto Besozzi founded the monastery after he had successfully survived a shipwreck on the lake. He later became a hermit and is buried in the church. In 1230, Dominicans built the small convent and oratory. Around 1450, additional staircases were added to connect the individual parts of the building. In the following centuries, the monastery was rebuilt and expanded several times to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims. The 14th-century church tower is still Romanesque. The Renaissance decorations on the current façade date from the 15th century, the numerous frescoes in the former refectory, the arcade, and the church date from the 14th to 17th centuries, and the paintings in the church are Baroque. Due to the steep slope and the difficult subsoil, the interior of the church is shaped to follow the curve of the mountain. It is richly frescoed, although moisture damage has destroyed significant portions of the paintings. The frescoes date primarily from the 16th century and were further enhanced with floral motifs in the 17th century. At the center of the church stands the sarcophagus of the founder, the hermit Alberto. In the courtyard separating the church from the convent building stands an old wine press dating from 1769. Text / Source: Province of Varese - Piazza Libertà No. 1 - 21100 Varese http://www.santacaterinadelsasso.com/

The Santa Caterina del Sasso church impresses with its unique construction. When visiting the sanctuary, you will encounter three buildings that make up the entire structure: the southern cloister, the small cloister, and finally the church, which houses the body of St. Besozzi and the Chapel of St. Catherine. The southern cloister was built in 1300 and renovated in 1624 by Prior Giulio Cesare Martignoni after part of the old wooden structure collapsed into the lake. It is accessed through an archway supported by slender granite columns. The small cloister is located opposite the courtyard where a large wine press stands. Text / Source: Lago-Maggiore.de https://www.lago-maggiore.de/ausflugsziele/kloster-santa-caterina-del-sasso.html

The Hermitage - Santa Caterina del Sasso, Leggiuno The Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso is situated on a cliff overlooking the lake and is undoubtedly one of the most impressive settings on Lake Maggiore. Access to the church is via a portico consisting of four rounded arches with a Renaissance imprint. The current building has a truly unique structure, the result of the merging of three chapels that were originally distinct and built in different eras. In front of and inside the church are numerous pictorial cycles dating from the 14th to the 19th century. Art and history are magnificently integrated into one of the most evocative natural landscapes, almost like a balcony jutting out towards the Borromean Gulf, Stresa, and the islands. Upon entering the hermitage, one first encounters the southern cloister (14th-17th centuries), with interesting frescoes in the fireplace room, then the convent (13th century), decorated with a long 17th-century fresco inspired by the Dance of Death just below the first-floor windows, and finally the church, which houses the Chapel of Santa Caterina. Text / Source: Province of Varese - Piazza Libertà No. 1 - 21100 Varese http://www.santacaterinadelsasso.com/eremo