Monte Tamaro

Today we took a short train ride to Rivera, Switzerland where Monte Tamaro is located. We were going to see a chapel that Mario Botta designed. We had to take an aerial cableway up to the top of the mountain. It was such a long way up. It was a beautiful sight despite the fact it was overcast. Once we got to the top there was so much to see including the Santa Maria degli Angeli Chapel that looked like it was a walkway straight off the mountain.

The detail put into the chapel was exquisite. The siting of the building which was on the side of a hill at the top was perfect and added to the beauty of the building. I am sure on a clear day it would've been a lot better but even overcast it was really nice. There were so many moments that Botta designed that made it special. I really enjoyed my visit there.

Inside the Chapel

Exterior View

We had quite a bit of time at the top so some of us explored around a bit. The peak of Monte Tamaro sits a lot higher from the plateau that the chapel sits so we didn't go up there. It was beautiful though as it was still snow-capped. Without going up higher we were still at an elevation of 5180 feet so almost a mile up. I could tell that the air was thinner as I was out of breath easier. There was also an alpine coaster that was really fun.

Monte Tamaro peak

Later that night we went to an indoor water park called Splash & Spa which was in the town of Rivera. It was so much fun and they had a lot of fun water slides. It was a good way to blow off some steam and have a lot of fun doing it.

Our next trip is to be determined. I may go somewhere this weekend but haven't decided. Next week we might make our trip to Vals and Sumvitg but that is up in the air. Stay tuned.