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The Ghisallo Museum is among the winning partners of the Mulm project funded under the Interreg Italy-Switzerland V-A Axis The Environment and Culture Cross-border Cooperation Program.

Thanks to this project, the Ghisallo museum can rent 20 bicycles, 10 muscular and ten pedal assisted, to pedal and discover the area.

To use the bikes you need to contact the museum

  • by email (info@museodelghisallo.it) or
  • by phone at 031.965885

 

What is the MuLM?

The Ghisallo Cycling Museum is one of the winning partners of the MULM project funded under the Interreg Italy-Switzerland V-A Axis II Environmental and Cultural Cross-Border Cooperation Program. The Ghisallo Museum takes off with a highly prestigious Interreg Italy – Switzerland project. The project is focused on the environmental and cultural enhancement of the territories now crossed and connected by the Gotthard Tunnel. The tunnel, inaugurated in 2016, on the one hand has reduced the travel time between Milan and Lucerne, and on the other hand has created a traveller focused on rapid traverse of that same territory no longer appreciating the surroundings along the way. The three-year project, started in November 2020, unites Italy and Switzerland in a significant partnership based on importance and size, and intends to create new public awareness of these areas so rich in history and culture. (Italian partners include Consortium Est Ticino Villoresi leader, the Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci, the Augusta Museum Foundation and the Museum of Cycling Madonna del Ghisallo, the Val Grande National Park, the Municipality of Olgiate Olona, the company Le Rogge Srl. Swiss Partners are the Ente regionale per lo sviluppo del Bellinzonese e Valli, the OTR Bellinzonese e Alto Ticino, the Leventina Museum Association, the Municipalities of Serravalle and Faido, the Fondazione Pro San Gottardo and the CSG Swiss Railpark St. Gotthard. Gotthard).

mulm ghisallo 1The project is valued at 1.601.800,23 Euros from the Italian side and 451.005,00 Francs on the Swiss side. Work has begun, as planned, under the banner of “rediscover slow tourism”, with the intention of promoting eco-sustainability and facilitating access within the neighboring communities, which, unfortunately, still only have limited interaction. THE PATHWAY TO THE REGIONAL MUSEUMS – For the MuLM to be a true regional museum the hubs are represented by the museum rooms within the various sites and the spokes would be open-air corridors, exhibitions, displays, and events spread throughout the territory, with specific routes – old and new, traditional and innovative – that unite the fragmented communities with the benefits of a joint cultural development with thoughtful execution.

“These types of projects represent a clear opportunity for planned development and regional growth, creating important financial and cultural benefits amongst neighboring areas. The Consortium Est Ticino Villoresi, leader of the Italian side, is not new to such shared opportunities such as the MuLM project; thanks to the7-year Interreg Program, it has achieved significant results in Panperduto with the Project ldrotourMuseo Acque Italo-Svizzere, (Hydrotour Project Swiss Waters Museum) which opened many doors for Italy and Switzerland. What was accomplished then has helped to enrich the cultural value of the area. The revival of the ancient Locarno-Milan-Venice waterway was achieved by restoring navigation routes which transformed a channel to a  Waterway that excels as an example of regional and cultural enhancement. The Consorzia is active in yet another lnterreg project, the Slow Move”, says president Alessandro Folli about participation in the MuLM project. The SLOW MOVE Project: water bridges into the future. From an environmental and Green Tourism perspective developing a transport link along Lake Maggiore, Ticino and the Canal System with the Mobility Axis III represents a link between the past and the future. Proof that collaboration with the MuLM, provides strength in partnerships and delivers both value and efficienciency.

Filippo Gianoni, President of the Regional Agency for the Development of Bellinzona and Valleys (ERS-BV), is convinced that this initiative represents an important opportunity to enhance the economic prosperity of two regions that have so much to offer: “The opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel and recently that of Monte Ceneri have brought about a revolution in rail transport that has brought the north and south Alps even closer together. Thanks to this project, the Gotthard alpine line with its history and its peculiarities will be improved, one of the top priorities for the Ers-Bv. Enhancing relations between the peoples and cultures that were already historically related, is a primary objective in creating cross-border tourism and economic benefits. This renewed optimism is due to the new Gotthard Train run by Sudostbahn AG – which, in December, began hourly cross-border service on the mountain line from Zurich and Basel, alternately, to Bellinzona.” Through the MuLM project, the cultural uniqueness of the historic Italo-Swiss cross-border areas will once again come to light as the regions are rediscovered. These developments are reigniting a desire to travel, to visit places and to enjoy their cultural identity, which otherwise might have been lost to faster modern forms of travel. You can follow the development of the MuLM project on the partners’ web pages, by going to the institutional page of lnterreg V-A in the section dedicated to the mini-sites of the individual projects, https;//projects.interregitaliasvizzera.eu/ as well as on their own portal, now in development, to promote the MuLM. This work is managed by the Regional Development Agency of Bellinzona and Valleys (ERS-BV), as Swiss lead partner, in synergy with all the other project partners. Ghisallo Museum director Carola Gentilini commented: “For the Ghisallo Museum this positive experience provides more momentum for the cultural process to which we are dedicated. I would say we have been unique since the moment of our conception, architecturally, and we take our place of honour in this region and territory. Although our Ghisallo features bicycle history and culture, it is increasingly a destination for walkers and tourists in search of unique experiences. These experiences are really special here. From this point of view, with this project, we really feel that we are in the right place at the right time”.