Lavertezzo

Lavertezzo is a village of grey stone houses in the Verzasca valley, in Italian-speaking Ticino, about 45 minutes by bus from Locarno. Its double-arched stone bridge over the jade-green river is one of the most photographed sights in southern Switzerland.

The municipality is larger than the village suggests. It also takes in Riazzino, down on the Magadino plain more than ten kilometres away, where the families of Lavertezzo once kept their winter pastures and vineyards. Farmers here moved with the seasons, up and down the valley: the plain in winter, the village in spring, the monti at around 1,000 m and the alpine pastures at 1,800 m in summer.

The Ponte dei Salti

The Ponte dei Salti, the “bridge of the leaps”, is a footbridge of two stone arches over the Verzasca. It is often called the Roman bridge, but it was built in the 17th century, possibly on the site of an older crossing.

The path climbs and drops with the curve of the arches, and the parapets are only knee-high, low enough for the loads on the mules that once used it. In 1868 a flood undermined the rock on the right bank and the right arch fell into the river. It was replaced by a wooden span and then an iron girder, which was swept away in turn in 1951. The stone arch was rebuilt in 1960, and the bridge looks as it did originally.

Swimming in the Verzasca

On a hot day the rocks below the bridge are covered with people, and the colour of the water makes swimming look irresistible. This river kills people every summer, and almost all of them are visitors. Take it seriously:

• The water is very cold, even in August. Cold shock can stop a strong swimmer within minutes.
• The current is strong and hidden. Below the smooth surface the river runs fast between the rocks, and there are whirlpools and undercuts where a swimmer can be held down.
• The level can rise suddenly after rain or storms higher up the valley, even if the sky above you is clear.
• Do not jump from the bridge or the rocks. The depth is hard to judge in clear water, and there are rocks below the surface.
• Read the warning signs at the river, keep to calm, shallow pools, and keep children within arm’s reach.

Walking

The Sentierone, a marked trail that follows the valley floor, passes through Lavertezzo. The stretch from Lavertezzo upstream to Brione and on to Sonogno, the last village in the valley, is an easy and beautiful walk past more pools and stone bridges; the PostBus runs along the road if you want to walk one way only. See hiking for more.

Higher up, the Capanna Cornavòsa is a small group of stone huts on the old pastures, used as a self-service mountain hut: a dining room with a stove, dormitories, solar lighting and wood heating. Huts of this kind are run on trust: you pay for what you use.

What else to see

• The parish church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, first recorded in 1578, when Lavertezzo became an independent parish. The present choir and façade are 18th-century work.
• The Sasso Fenduto, a large split boulder on open ground that gives its name to the hamlet where it stands.
• Old bread ovens in the hamlets of Rancone, Sambugaro and Ai Salici.
• Further down the valley, the Verzasca Dam, whose 220-metre bungee jump became famous in the opening of the James Bond film GoldenEye, and the tiny village of Corippo clinging to the slope.

Getting there

PostBus line 321 runs from Locarno station up the valley to Sonogno and stops at Lavertezzo; the trip takes about 45 minutes. The fare is a zone ticket of the Ticino Arcobaleno network; see tickets and passes.

By car, follow the road from Tenero up the valley. On summer weekends the road is busy and the car parks near the bridge fill early; it is often easier to take the bus.

Nearby

• Locarno and Ascona on Lake Maggiore.
• Bellinzona, with its three castles.
• Lugano, the largest town in Ticino.