Verzasca Valley

About this place

The Verzasca Valley is a narrow mountain valley in the canton of Ticino in southern Switzerland, north of Lake Maggiore. Its best-known spot, the bridge at the village of Lavertezzo, lies about 11 km north of Locarno and 16 km west of Bellinzona in a straight line. The valley runs about 25 km from south to north, with a floor between roughly 500 and 900 metres, and the Verzasca river flows its length. At its southern mouth a dam holds the river back in the Vogorno lake, and at the far end lies the village of Sonogno. At Lavertezzo an old double-arched stone bridge, the Ponte dei Salti, spans the river. The water runs a clear emerald green over smooth, pale grey granite polished by the current, with deep pools and small rapids. Small villages of stone houses with slab-stone roofs cling to the slopes, surrounded by chestnut woods and steep mountains. Visitors walk across the bridge and over the rocks around it, follow the valley path between the villages, and many come up by postbus from Locarno. Swimming is dangerous because the water is cold and the current can rise suddenly, so take great care and follow the signs. The bridge gets crowded on sunny summer days.