The visitors of the botanischen park San Grato meets in a splendourful landscape in many different kinds of azaleas, Rhododendren, needle and Laubbaemen from all continents of this world. Nier gends otherwise such a diversity of species on smallest area can be admired. In the months April and May the whole park is dipped into a breath-robbing blaze of colours: it is this the bloom time of the azaleas and Rhododendren.

The park San Grato lies over a gesteinsformation from quarzporphyr with acid fertile soil of which for the cultivation of acidophiler plants is extremely favorable. Rhododen dren, azaleas, Kamelien, brooms as well as heath herb plants find here ideal growth conditions. Like that are Rhododen dren in the park with up to to four meters height no rarity, which represents an unusual size for our degrees of latitude nevertheless rather. The oldest copies decrease/go back on plan tongues still at times Luigi Giussano zirka around the year 1960.

Azalea, whose name of the Greek azaleos - which means drying - is derived, geoert for the family of the Rhododendren. Azaleas are in contrast to Rhododendren only from medium size with delicate branches and lose in the rule on the winter their sheets. Rhododendren against it are mostly evergreen large bushes with relatively rough branches. Azaleas form extremely close bloom bundles of intensive color contrary to Rhododendren with their blooms. At most the ocher-yellow blooms of the Azalea Mollis are noticeable in the park. The Pfalnzenfamilie of the Rhododendren covers zirka 1000 kinds and more than 10'000 Varietaeten in innumerable color combinations from blue and violet over orange and yellow to to white.
The name Rhododendron consists of the two Greek words rhodon and dendron - which is to be translated with rose and tree. A Rhododendron is therefore thus a rose tree.

The botanische park San Grato is at the southern end of Carona at the narrow and winding connecting road Paradiso - Carona - to Vico Morcote. On a height of 690 meters over sea the park at the connecting backs between the Monte San Salvatore over Lugano/Paradiso and the Monte Arbostora over Morcote schmiegt itself and inserts themselves marvelously into the environment.

The simplest and most comfortable kind the botanischen garden San Grato to reach is the use of individual means of transport (car, motorcycle or bicycle). Moving birds reach San Grato also on one of the numerous moving ways. The possibility continues to exist to use the post office bus starting from Lugano after Carona for the journey.

Car, motorcycle.

Bus. Starting from the post office bus last stop Carona Paese are it zirka 20 minutes foot march up to the beginning of the park area.

Martin Othmar winter owner, inventor and lawyer, was the first owner of the property, which forms today the San Grato park. Here had it its summer residence, from which still the farmhouse and the horse stable, in which today the restaurant is accommodated, are received.
Winter owner on 04 May 1889 in pc. Gallen born where it with six brothers and sisters also buildup. Starting from 1911 Leibzig studied jurisprudence and attained there in law also its doctor title at the university. In the middle of June 1923 offered a certain Gideon Sundback in pc. Gallen its patent specification to it "over a procedure for the production of solvable connections by means of tiny ball joints and clamping jaws" for the purchase. The inventor in Wintertaler realized the Potenzial of the offered patent accessed immediately and in such a way he. Back in it resounds the idea further of the patent and presented 1924 at the Leipziger fashion fair for the first time the product to the Saale developed, which should revolutionize the textile industry: the zipper. On 01 July 1925 Wintertaler's zipper with the patent specification 110730 in Switzerland was patented. When the German ministry of the Interior set a functionary for it because of alleged evasion of foreign exchange regulations before the nose, it shipped short hand the whole machinery of the company in Wuppertal on trucks and drove thereby into Switzerland. In Mendrisio Wintertaler developed the first industrial complex with the new seat of its zipper company Riri starting from 1936.

The botanische park San Grato became however only 1957 by Luigi Giussani, which founders of the steel plants Monteforno in Bodio, in the life gerrufen. This bought at that time the Liegenscchaft and removed forest surfaces to cultivation from first azaleas and Rhododendren, which are particularly suitable due to the environmental condition (soil and climate) of this area on the hill from Carona to to prosper. In the year 1967 Luigi Giussani at the foot of the Parkes let public baths with olympic pool, which with up to 1'500 guests daily very well one visited at that time establish. It let one further build today unfortunately not more existing wire rope course from Melide to Carona for the development of the tourist attractions. The Gesamtfaeche of the whole plant amounted to more than 260'000 Quadaratmeter. The today's botanische park knows the surface of only still 62'000 square meter, modest against it, up.

After the death of Luigi Giussano in the year 1983 transferred the Swiss banking company UBS the park and gave at the same time the zugeoerige swimming pool of the municipality Carona. By donation of the UBS the tourist association Lugano Tourismo owner of the parka situation becomes on 16 June 1997. Since that time the creation of different topic paths and the setting-up of a play park for children still increased the attractiveness of the park.

The name San Grato: this is derived from latin gratus , which can meaning as much as pleasantly, perceptibly , valuable. The holy San Grato, in 5. Jh. bishop von Aosta, is called as a protection patron against storm and thunderbolt, approximately for cultures harmful animals as well as angefleht in dry times around rains. In view of the marvelous landschaftlichen layer, the pleasant and valuable abundance of the vegetation prospering in the park, Luigi Giussani the holy San Grato seemed to be the correct protector for its park and called it the park San Grato in such a way. In honours of the holy one established it also a chapel in the park.

The botanische park San Grato does not know opening times. Since it concerns an open area, the park is at any time accessible. It can be visited at each season and is with its far meadow surfaces also a popular local recreation area. For all visitors the admission is free.

The best season for an attendance is during the bloom time of the azaleas, Rhododendren and Kamelien in each case in April and May, if the park unfolds its full color splendour.

Different, paths designated after topics lead by the park:

The length of this path amounts to zirka 1.7 km and leads past designated leaves and resinous woods.

The "Sentiero running over 2 km Pa-noramico" connects all lookout points of the Parkes.

The "Sentiero Relax" path mentioned leads across 1,5 km by the most even and most comfortable ways of the park.

Various sculptures of contemporary artists are along this path.