Verzasca Valley

7 Highlights in the Verzasca Valley

• The Verzasca is an emerald green river that meanders through polished rocks and beautiful landscapes.
• The Verzasca Valley is known for its deep, natural pools and smooth rock formations, which are ideal places for swimming and relaxing.
• Ponte dei Salti is one of the romantic bridges that are popular photo motifs in the Verzasca Valley.
• The Verzasca dam on Lago di Vogorno is very popular with bungee jumpers from all over the world. James Bond jumped from the 220 m high dam wall in the film Goldeneye.
• Corippo and other old mountain villages are part of the inventory of villages worthy of protection. The houses are built in the traditional style and covered with granite slabs.
• Canyoning tours, walks and challenging mountain tours: the activities in the Verzasca Valley are very varied.
• In contrast to the gneiss of neighboring valleys, the gneiss in the Verzasca Valley is spectacularly colored. In some cases, the colors in the stone appear to be gradients (brown, black, grey and white).

Places of interest in the Verzasca Valley

The Verzasca Valley or Valle Verzasca (Italian) is rich in sights. On the one hand, you can experience a unique natural environment that seems to be almost untouched in large parts. On the other hand, the valley still has many traditional houses and churches built with local stone due to its untouched nature. Visiting the Verzasca Valley is (still) a bit of a trip back in time.

Vogorno reservoir at the beginning of the Verzasca Valley

Lago di Vogorno is a reservoir that is used to generate electricity. Its 220 m high dam wall became famous in 1995 thanks to the James Bond film "Goldeneye". It shows Bond jumping from the dam. The stunt was later voted the "best movie stunt of all time". Since then, the dam has been rented out as a facility for bungee jumping to appropriate providers.

Nevertheless, there are three dams in Switzerland that are even higher:

Lake	Region	Dam height (m)
Lac des Dix	Valais	285
Lac de Mauvoisin	Valais	250
Lago di Luzzone	Ticino	225

Inside the Verzasca dam, as the dam wall is also known, you will find a small museum that provides information about the history and function of the reservoir.

Places in the Verzasca Valley

For a long time, the Verzasca Valley was difficult to reach. It is therefore one of the valleys that has been able to preserve its unspoilt nature for a particularly long time. Around 1000 AD, the villages of today's Verzasca municipality founded a community (comunità). The valley experienced changing rulers and freed itself from the Marcacci bailiffs in the 17th century.

At the mouth of the Verzasca, carved stones from the early Stone Age (around 1800 BC) have even been found. A man-made cup stone, the Sass di Striöi (witch's stone), is located in Berzona (Vogorno). It is thought to date from around 600 to 700 BC.

The places in the Verzasca Valley include:

Name	Elevation (m above sea level)	Special features
Mergoscia	735	Casa Torre (built in 1424), 5 bowl stones, 3 of which are at 1340 m above sea level
Vogorno	461	Lago di Vogorno reservoir, San Bartolomeo with the oldest church in the entire valley, Byzantine frescoes from 1250, shell stones, stone bridge of Cazza
Corippo	563	village center under monument protection, village lies north of the dam on the right bank of the river
Lavertezzo Valle	274	beautiful river bathing area, Ponte dei Salti bridge, shell stones, old ovens
Brione	756	lies at the junction to the Osola Valley, former castle Castello Marcacci, parish church Santa Maria Assunta
Cugnasco-Gerra	808	Cugnasco has three medieval oratories with beautiful frescoes that are worth protecting, old ovens
Frasco	885	600 m wide snow avalanche from Monte Pampinedo buried 10 houses in Frasco in 1951
Sonogno	919	Church of Santa Maria Lauretana from 1854 with Black Madonna, several shell stones, museum for wool processing and handicrafts in Valle Verzasca

Mergoscia has a special position. Although it is located in the Verzasca Valley, it does not belong to the municipality of Verzasca like all the other villages mentioned. It belongs to the district of Navegna as a separate municipality and is accessed via Contra. All the other villages together form the municipality of Verzasca and are reached via Gordola.

The villages of Vogorno (San Bartolomeo), Corippo, Lavertezzo Valle, Brione and Sonogno are classified as sites of national importance worthy of protection. Corippo is also a listed building. You can still admire old ovens in some of these villages. Medieval prayer chapels can also be found throughout the Verzasca Valley.

Bowl stones, often also called sacrificial stones, are stones with cup-shaped indentations. These indentations are not always man-made, they can also be natural. They were mostly used for purely practical purposes such as fire drills, mortars or oil lamps. However, cultic-symbolic purposes such as fertility symbols or signposts are also conceivable.

Bridges in the Verzasca Valley

• Stone bridge from Cazza (Vogorno to Corippo)
• Ponte Bivio Corippo
• Ponte Pedonale
• Ponte dei Salti (17th century)
• Ponte Verzasca
• Alnasca suspension bridge

Activities in the Verzasca Valley

The Verzasca Valley offers a wide range of activities. Whether hiking, canyoning, rafting, bouldering or swimming, the valley is very varied.

Swimming in the Verzasca Valley

You can't swim everywhere in the Verzasca, it could quickly become dangerous - especially with children. It is therefore important to pay attention to any signs. However, there are beautiful, shallow spots that are also suitable for small children to swim in. The river ponds in Lavertezzo and Brione Verzasca are particularly good examples of this. As both places can be easily reached by post bus 321 from Tenero, the bathing spots are often very crowded in high summer.

The cool water in the river probably won't let you linger too long in the water anyway. But even close to the banks, the Verzasca can quickly become dangerous. When it rains up in the mountains or the power station releases water from the reservoir, the river quickly swells into a raging torrent. And there are also dangers that are not visible from the outside: The river has eddies and numerous strong currents that you can't see from the water. There are also slippery rocks. If bathers (or divers) are surprised by a current, they are quickly swept into the depths by strong eddies. Time and again, visitors drown in the Verzasca.

Canyoning in the Verzasca Valley

Canyoning in the Verzasca Valley is a very special adventure. Licensed canyoning guides offer safe, guided canyoning. Whether beginner or advanced, the gorges in the Verzasca Valley offer something for everyone.

Here you can experience pools, jumps, slides and exciting abseils. In the gorges near Corippo, abseiling points and slides up to 15 m deep and jumps up to 10 m are possible.

Hikes through the Verzasca Valley

Sentierone is the name of the trail that takes you from Tenero through the entire Verzasca Valley. This path takes you to the northernmost village in the municipality of Verzasca, Sonogno. In the past, the valley inhabitants used the Sentierone to reach the plain.

This path is very pleasant to hike and you can interrupt or break off at any time. You can reach the individual villages via pretty bridges or footbridges. You can stay overnight in some villages or take the post bus back. The hiking trail is marked red and white as a mountain hiking trail. It is 24 km long in total. If you want to hike it in its entirety, you will need 8:30 hours of pure hiking time.

The areas to the right and left of the river are well suited for alpine hiking. There are numerous crossings into side valleys and neighboring valleys. And the fantastic views of the Bernese, Valais and Grisons Alps are legendary.

One of the most difficult mountain hikes is the Via Alta della Verzasca (VAV), rated T6 on the SAC hiking scale. Here you go on day hikes from refuge to refuge (5 refuges in total):

• Capanna Borgna
• Capanna Cornavosa
• Capanna d'Efra
• Capanna Cógnora
• Capanna Barone

On the way you will pass very rugged trenches, go through long-abandoned Alps and into side valleys that are difficult to access. This route contains climbing sections on very difficult terrain and is marked blue and white as an alpine hiking trail. Belays (wire ropes, metal brackets) provide assistance. Nevertheless, this route is only recommended for very experienced mountaineers.

Tours along the rocks of Lavertezzo

The rocks of Lavertezzo are a unique natural phenomenon. You can hike along the river and admire the fascinating formations. You can experience the silence and mystical atmosphere of the rock overhangs and be enchanted by their beauty. There are also waterfalls to admire along the way. Some popular tours in the Verzasca Valley (near Lavertezzo):

route	elevation gain (m)	length (km)	time required (hrs)	difficulty
Sambugaro - Motta	501	7.9	3:15	difficult
Lavertezzo - Brione	348	6.4	2:00	medium
Brione - Sonogno	348	8.5	2:30	medium

Ethnographic circular trail from Lavertezzo

A very pleasant hiking trail starts in Lavertezzo and takes you on the trail of our ancestors' water extraction.

You will find an unusual water catchment system on the left-hand side of the valley. It was built on the pastures of two villages, Revöira and Ca d`Dént.

The circular route starts at the parish church of Lavertezzo and takes you via Sambugaro to Revöira and Ca d`Dént. The ancient water catchment system includes cisterns with drawing devices. The water was collected in monolithic tubs.

The circular route is 8.7 km long and takes around three hours. This hiking trail is classed as an easy trail. At Motta/Brione you return to the road to Lavertezzo.

Getting to the Verzasca Valley

The Verzasca Valley is easy to reach these days. You can reach Mergoscia via Contra. All other villages (the municipality of Verzasca) can be reached via Gordola. Enjoy the picturesque drive through the mountains and be amazed by the beauty of the surroundings on the way.

By train

The best way to get to Locarno is by train. The PostBus line 322 runs from here to Tenero. From there, change to the PostBus line 321 for a regular service to the valley.

By car

If you are traveling by car, simply follow the signs to Verzasca. The Verzasca Valley is easily accessible by car and offers ample parking in the surrounding villages. The Verzasca Valley is a real treasure in Switzerland and offers a variety of activities and sights for every taste. Whether you want to hike, mountain bike, swim or simply enjoy the picturesque landscape, the Verzasca Valley has something for everyone.