Bellinzona has three castles and a wall, and together they once decided who got through the Alps. The town sits at the head of the Ticino valley where several routes meet, including the roads to the San Bernardino and Gotthard passes, and whoever held it controlled the north-south traffic between Milan and the Swiss lands. Montebello is the middle one of the three, perched on a small hill on the east side of town, and the smallest of the trio. It was built in stages from the thirteenth century onward and expanded by the Visconti and Sforza dukes of Milan before the Swiss cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Nidwalden took over around 1500.
The three castles and the walls that link them are a UNESCO site, and the view from Montebello is one of the best. The castle has a drawbridge, a keep and ramparts, and the inside holds a small museum and a courtyard with a neat lawn. From the walls you see the roofs of Bellinzona, the broad Magadino plain and the mountains on both sides. Opening hours and entry fees vary by season, so check before you plan a visit, but the grounds are rewarding in any case.
Getting here puts you in a pleasant corner of Switzerland. Ticino has a mild climate, and the town carries a southern feel, with palm trees, café terraces and Italian spoken on the streets. The ride south from the Gotthard or San Bernardino passes takes you down a long valley with chestnut woods and small villages, with plenty of hairpins and a clear change of mood as the vegetation becomes more Mediterranean. Traffic can be heavy on the A2 motorway, especially at weekends and during holiday periods, when queues form near the Gotthard tunnel, so a mountain road is often more fun than the highway.
Bellinzona has about 17,000 people and all the services a rider needs: fuel stations, supermarkets, restaurants and parking. Use the town as a base for the afternoon, with a risotto or a plate of polenta with braised meat as the local choice, and wine from the Merlot grapes grown on the slopes. The market on Saturday morning in the old town is lively and worth a look. Wind and rain are rare in the valley, and spring and early autumn are the best seasons, with clear air and fewer visitors than in midsummer.