The Verzasca Valley is a popular tourist attraction in Ticino, Switzerland. It stretches for 25 km from Verzasca Dam to Sonogno. This is one of the most beautiful places you could visit if you near Locarno. If you love nature and outdoors this is the place for you. The heart of the valley is the emerald-green Verzasca river with its beautiful gorges. There are many activities that can be done in this valley. Hiking, cycling, bridge jumping and swimming are some of popular activities here and it can get busy and crowded in the summer months.

Verzasca Dam, made famous by the 007 movie Goldeneye, is really an impressive sight. It is located at the entrance to Valle Verzasca. There is a parking area next to the dam and you could walk right across the dam free of charge. The Verzasca dam is very high at 220 metres, and the fourth highest in Switzerland. Even though I am not really afraid of heights, looking down from the top of the dam still give me the chill.

On the dam, you will see the installation for the 007 bungy jump. It is the world 2nd highest jump. We did not see anyone jumping on that day. My dare devil son Vincent wanted to jump but the price is really high (~255 CHF). Dont think it worth the price for just a minute of thrill. I would rather spend more time inside the valley.

The Roman double arch stone bridge at Ponte dei Salti that runs over the Verzasca river is perhaps the biggest draws in this valley. It is a perfect photo spot and you can spend many hours here watching people jumping from the bridge or just lazying around the rocks. To get here you will need drive about 30 minutes up a narrow and winding road from Locarno or take a bus. If you are driving, strongly recommend to come to early as there are limited parking spaces in this area. We have published a separate post sharing our photos and bridge jumping experience at this famous bridge. Click the link here to check it out : Ponte Del Salti Bridge Jump

The romantic village of Lavertezzo (545 metres) with its characteristic stone buildings is located just next to the famous bridge. It is a small but charming village surrounded by waterfalls, Verzasca river and green hills. We spend an hour here admiring its beauties and of course taking many photos. You can buy drinks in the small kiosk in the village or have lunch in one of the two small restaurants nearby. The only letdown is the lack of parking spots and abundance of tourists.

Sonogno, the last village of the Verzasca valley, is as enchanting as it is peaceful, with houses decorated with flowers, cobbled streets and the characteristic village square where people meet for a chat. Bars and restaurants serve traditional dishes, local specialities can be bought in the shops.

One of the things that amazed me the most was how calm and quiet the village was. It was August, (summer and peak travel season in Europe), and I could probably count the number of people we walked past on only two hands. So if you’re looking for an incredibly scenic place to escape the hustle and bustle that comes with summer, I highly recommend paying Sonogno a visit.  

One interesting thing I noticed about Valle Verzasca is that the flowers (even insects) grown in this region seems to be bigger, healthy more vibrant than other areas. Maybe it is the soil or the weather that makes the difference. Either way, it’s has been a joy visiting Valle Verzasca with it’s charming villages, spectacular river and falls, and big big flowers.

On the way back to our hotel in Locarno, we decided to do a quick visit to Ascona, a popular tourist town near Locarno. Ascona boasts a picturesque and elegant promenade which is lined with street cafés, designer shops and art galleries. It was calm and quiet when we were there. Sitting down on the bench facing Lake Maggiore is as peaceful as it could get. We did not spend much time there as we are quite tired. Tomorrow would be a challenging and tiring day as we are planning to tackle the UNESCO High Altitude Ridge Hike near Bettmerhorn.