Another ride to Bellinzona ... didn't make it in time for the open-air market, alas. I decided to try riding to one of the other two castles (besides Castelgrande, which is in the center of the old town). I thought it was the second, but checking later I find that Castello di Sasso Corbaro is the highest of the three, and the newest (built in 1479). I was able to walk right into the castle, although the museum rooms are closed until April. The view of the valley below is panoramic ... it's easy to see why the castle would be useful for spotting and responding to incursions. As usual my appreciation of the views was somewhat limited by the necessity of clinging to the inner wall and staying as far as possible from the rampart edge.
The climb to the castle is steep, but the altitude is actually less than the pass over Monte Ceneri between Lugano and Bellinzona.
On the way back I found and followed more of the labeled cycling route 3, which extends from Chiasso in the south up to ... Berne? In any case it includes a segment between Lugano and Bellinzona, and provides a good deal of routing on smaller roads with less traffic than I've been taking. I did, however, assume it would all be paved. Silly me. Some parts were more suited to mountain bikes, including some graveled trails and a steep cobblestone section of a city street where I actually got off the bike and walked.
Stats: 59 miles, 3809 feet of climbing.
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