A popular family hike starts from the beautiful Gothic parish church of San Sigismondo near Chienes. It focuses on an equally popular theme: butterflies. These insects appear in many shapes and colours, as the flowering meadow landscape, through which the 7.5-kilometre trail - called Schmetterlingsweg St. Sigmund - winds, provides the ideal habitat for them.

With almost 160,000 species, 130 families and 46 superfamilies, they are incidentally the most diverse insect order after beetles. Blue butterflies, painted ladies, tortoiseshells, red admirals, clouded yellows, brimstones and other species are attracted by the flowers and can be observed.

We walk in a westerly direction and follow path no. 68 until we take path no. 4 to the right at the first junction. It leads upwards to the rustic Gugge farms. Past them, the route finally goes downwards along a forest path to the Schifferegger farm tavern with its sunny terrace, and then returns to San Sigismondo after a total walking time of three hours.

Some unique spots also await along the Butterfly Trail, which is marked by a butterfly symbol. These include the giants of Casteldarne, who are said to have destroyed the small Guggen Castle with large stone balls. At least, that is what the legend tells us.

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Author: AT

Experienced: May 2015
Last updated: 2026

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