For the Swiss national day we enjoyed a 4 days week-end in the italian part of Switzerland: Ticino. A mix of beautiful treks, old villages, and luxurious cities on Lugano and Maggiore lakes. We took a little detour on our way back to check the source of the Rhone river.
Verzasca Valley
Our journey stated in this valley famous for it’s green mountains and its transparent river flooding directly from the glacier. Ponte dei Salti was incredibly crowdy, but the rest of the region is pretty quiet and we crossed NO ONE during our trek. Restaurants are also rare and full (don’t hesitate to book in advance). We missed visiting Corippo but if you can, go for it (and spend the night)!
Day 1: Sonogno & Püscen Negro
Sonogno is a peaceful village with only 86 habitants. The houses are from the XVIs century, sometime built directly against the rocks fallen from the mountain. It has a magical ambiance.
We spent the first night there and did a little walk, climbing to Püscen Negro, a place lost in time, passing by La Froda waterfall (around 8km loop).
Day 2: Loop Frasco – Monte Valdo – Gerra
The day after we started a long walk from Frasco to Monte Valdo (15km, 1200D+, 6h). It’s a hard trek you can cut by going down directly to Gerra, instead of reaching Corte di Sopra (but as always: the higher, the better). You’ll be surprised to find houses in the middle of nowhere, with few families enjoying a quiet week-end (most of them are only secondary residences).
> See details of the walk on AllTrails
Where to camp?
Don’t expect to stay in the middle of nowhere with nobody around… Sadly all the cute roads are private access is forbidden. There is a car park at the entrance of the village of Sonogno, where you can sleep in your camper for 24CHF/night, with toilets and water (not the most beautiful view, and we saw people sleeping in tents by the river, not sure it’s allowed but it’s definitely the best option in my point of view).
Hotel:
After a disappointed night on the parking (we expected to be into the wild like we did in Patagonia) we booked a room at Hotel Pizzo Vogorno (180CHF/night).
Where to eat?
Grotto Efra, peace on Earth at Sonogno, or Campagna Albergo Ristorante in Frasco.
Day 3: Lago di Lugano
Lugano
The main city is a modern and colorful treasure, with plenty of terrasses, nice places and a walking street full of luxury shops!
Morcote
DO NOT miss this little place, and the walk up to the church. You will discover a small labyrinth of streets that reminded me Cinque Terre.
Lago Maggiore
Ascona
We booked a room by mistake thinking it was located to Locarno, but it was finally my best and favorite place of the trip! It reminded me the cities we visited with my parents during summer, full of restaurants, a lake sidewalk with various artists playing music, cute streets and shops…
Where to sleep?
Piazza Ascona Hotel & Restaurants (230CHF/night)
Locarno
We only did a quick walk around the old center, but after Ascona and Morcote, the charm was suffering from the comparison…
Rhone Glacier
Passing by the south or Uri, an other gorgeous swiss canton, we did a small stop on the Rhone Glacier. In summer it was probably more melted than ever, but still you can walk in an ice cave and enjoy the beauty of this starting point of one of the dear Rhone river I crossed everyday when I was living in Lyon. Don’t miss the view from the valley where you get an idea where reached the glacier 20 years ago.
Access
Do not expect to see the nice point of view without paying the entrance fee (9CHF by cash, 10CHF by card). Parking is free though…
Tip: With the climate change, I would only recommend to go there as soon as possible (it’s crazy to see how it’s disappearing years after years.
Our best of:
