Discovering the water holes (“bolle”) of Monte Generoso

Pasturing and mountain agriculture, were the main activities on Monte Generoso, until a few decades ago. Whilst it has always had a climate and vegetation that were ideal for supporting flocks and herds, the dryness of  a karstic mountain like Monte Generoso created enormous problems due to a lack of water.
The alpine inhabitants were therefore obliged to create “bolle”, types of ponds that had, almost always, a round shape, with their bottoms lined with leaves and the ashes that they accumulated in their chimneys and cooking ranges, in order to capture the rainwater. The “bolle” that can be visited on Monte Generoso are varied. Some are abandoned, others work only partly whilst others work perfectly, having been restored these past few years and have now become an ideal “habitat” for many insects and small animals.

First proposal:

Duration: 3 hours
Level of difficulty: none
Difference of altitude: about 150 m

Second proposal:

Duration: 3 hours
Level of difficulty: none
Difference of altitude: about 270 m

Fuller descriptions for both of the above-mentioned outings can be found in the booklet “Monte Generoso, 26 itineraries for discovering the mountain”.
The “bolle” and how they work is described in the booklet “Water and the “Bolle” on Monte Generoso”.