Verzaska River

Verzasca River

Verzasca is the most transparent river in the world with crystal turquoise water and colorful stones that dot its bottom. The river flows through the valley of the same name in the Swiss canton of Ticino. Its length is 30 kilometers. The beginning of the river is located high in the mountains, at the top of the height of 2864 meters. The Verzasca flows through picturesque valleys to the south, where it then flows into the mountain lake at Maggiore, located between Italy and Switzerland.

Video: Diving in the Verzasca River

General Information

What makes the Verzasca particularly beautiful is the fact that the river is accompanied by lush Mediterranean vegetation from its source to its confluence with the lake. Thus, tourists, snorkelers and connoisseurs of true natural beauty come from all over the world to admire the clear waters of the river, surrounded by vineyards and forests.

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Nowadays, the Verzasca River, located in the central region of the Swiss Alps, is deservedly considered one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe. The temperature of its purest waters is quite low: usually even in the hottest weather it does not exceed 10 degrees Celsius. The depth of the mountain river is relatively small – up to 10 meters. At the same time, there are places on the Verzaska, which because of the turbulent underwater currents are quite dangerous.

Bathing in the river is prohibited: the water is very cold. However, despite this prohibition, there are always daredevils who express a desire to plunge into the clear, but mercilessly icy waters of Verzaska. And, since because of this, there have already been situations with unfavorable outcomes on the river, today there are local “wardens” who warn people of the danger, and direct them to relatively safe places on the river for swimming.

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But, to be fair, it’s worth saying that these are not just safe places on the Verzasca, but natural bathtubs that the river has washed into the rocks, working its way through them over the years. Here in such “containers” the water becomes suitable for bathing, and in the summer period these are favorite places of a large number of vacationers.

The river Verzaska is not very deep, the maximum depth is about 15 meters, but thanks to its clear water beckons like a magnet to divers who make from the depths of stunning pictures. But for this you need to be well prepared, as we do not forget that the water here is very cold. From the bottom of the lake is clearly visible not only the underwater world, but even what is above the surface of the water, such as connecting the banks of the river two-arch Roman bridge of the early XVII century and people walking along it.

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It would seem that the water is so clear and beautiful that it should be a paradise for fish, but for some unknown reason it is not here. There was an opinion that it was due to the acidity of the river, but a study that was conducted in 2009 did not confirm this conjecture and the acidity level of the Verzaska River does not differ from most other rivers, so it is still a mystery.

Attractions

A famous landmark of the Verzasca River is the Verzasca Dam, which was erected in 1959, its height reaches 220 meters, the dam was built to limit the amount of water flowing into Lake Maggiore. It became famous after “Agent 007” James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) made a jump from it, the scene for one of the parts of this movie was filmed here, namely “GoldenEye”. Now such a jump can be repeated by anyone who wants to “dare”, as there is a platform for bungee-jumping and after such a jump vivid memories for life are guaranteed!

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Another attraction of this area is the Roman Bridge. It is a double stone bridge, which is built in the form of an arch. Walking across it allows you to see the Verzasca from a different perspective and fall even more in love with its ornate curves, fantastic clarity and unique water color. The cleanest river in the world – the Verzasca – makes you marvel at yourself again and again to no end!

In the valley of the river Verzaska you can see a village, many houses in which are built of layered stone – gneiss, many houses here are more than 400 years old. But once upon a time this village was hit by a huge snow avalanche that came down from the alpine mountains and buried it completely. To commemorate this sad event, a red marker is placed on the high church of the hamlet, and it is up to this mark that the snow lay here.

How to get there

The best place to admire the beauty of the Verzasca River is in the vicinity of Locarno (where the river flows into Lake Maggiore). The nearest international airport is in Zurich.

Next you need to take a train to Locarno, the travel time is about 3 hours.

The city of Locarno is also connected by rail to cities such as Basel, Lucerne, and the Italian city of Milan.

If you decide to get to Lornaco by car, you need to stick to the A2 highway. After Magadino airport, you need to take the A13 highway. After the tunnel, the first exit will take you to the city center.