Monte San Salvatore

San Salvatore rises to 912 metres in a distinct cone at the end of the peninsula that splits Lake Lugano, and the funicular up it has run since 1890. From the summit the lake is visible on both sides at once, with the Ticino Alps north and, in clear air, the Monte Rosa massif west. A small church and a museum on the mountain's history sit at the top, and the roof terrace is reached by a short flight of stairs. The peak carries a long-running lightning research station: the summit is struck often enough that measurements taken here since the 1940s underpin a significant part of what is known about lightning behaviour. Paths descend to Carona and Morcote through chestnut woods.

What you actually see

• The lake on both sides - the peninsula splitting Lake Lugano below.
• An 1890 funicular - the original line from Paradiso.
• A lightning research station - decades of strike measurements from the summit.
• Descents through chestnut woods - paths to Carona and Morcote.

When to go

March to November. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The funicular closes for winter and for maintenance. Haze over the lake often hides the far peaks. The summit area is small and the terrace crowds at sunset. The walk down to Morcote is longer than it looks.

Nearby

Lugano is at the base; Morcote and Carona are on the descent.