One day in Switzerland: Swimming in Glacier Water in Lavertezzo!
I travel to Zurich, Switzerland a couple times for work a year. I try to make the most out of my time there by extending the trip through the weekend. I am usually traveling solo and I have a great time. However, there are some places that are 10x better when you have a companion to go. Fortunately, this time, Dustin joined me for part of my trip to Switzerland and we finally went to Lavertezzo, a place I’ve been eyeing since my first trip to Switzerland!
What is Lavertezzo? What is Valle Verzasca? Where is it?
Lavertezzo is town in the Locarno district (southeast of Switzerland). We went here specifically to swim and relax by the glacier river in Valle Verzasca, a valley in Lavertezzo. The glacier river at the valley is a beautiful emerald green with plenty of smooth rocks to sit on.
What can you do there?
There are hiking trails and bungee jumping, but we went specifically to bathe in the sun and swim a little in the river.
How cold is the water?
It was around 10 degrees Celsius. Don’t let the stunning clear emerald green water fool you, it’s so cold! Most people aren’t in the water and there’s a very clear reason why. Be careful when you dip or jump in, make sure to keep yourself warm so you don’t get sick. The current of the river can be strong, so just be extra aware.
What should you bring?
Snacks, towels, bathing suit, water, and lots of sun screen! There’s a bathroom right next to the bus stop and river in case you want to change at the destination. It’s pretty clean!
How far is it from Zurich?
By train and bus, it’s close to 3 hours away.
How do you get there?
We took the EC train (train heading to Milano Centrale) from Zurich HB to Bellinzona, where we transferred to another train (run by SBB) that took us from Bellinzona to Tenero. From there, we walked across the street from the train station and onto bus 321 that took us to our final destination, Lavertezzo, Paese.
From Zurich HB to Lavertezzo, Paese and back is 143 CHF per person.
-
- Walking on the bridge to get to the river
-
- Dustin at Lavertezzo!
-
- Bel at Lavertezzo!
-
- It’s cold, he is not trying to keep it cool
-
- Place was filled with people in the afternoon
-
- Look how smooth the rocks are!
-
- <3
-
- Raging river!
-
- Nature creates cool things
-
- Taking a walk further down the irver
-
- Me and Dust at Lvertezzo
-
- Enjoying the views at Lavertezzo
-
- The emerald green river from the bridge
-
- People were cliff jumping from this bridge – crazy
-
- Walked around the area little bit when we were waiting for the bus
Recommend?
100% recommend if it’s a clear day! It is a bit of a trek, but completely worth it. This place is perfect when it’s sunny and the water is glistening.
