Lago di Saoseo

Saoseo lies at about 2,030 metres in the Val di Campo, a side valley of the Italian-speaking Poschiavo, and it is unusual for how enclosed it is - most Alpine lakes of this colour sit in open rock, while this one is surrounded by dense mountain pine, larch and stone pine, so the turquoise appears through trees rather than under bare slopes. Submerged trunks are visible in the shallows. The valley is a protected landscape of national importance for its forest and moorland, and a marked trail continues past Lagh da Val Viola toward the Italian border. The Poschiavo valley below is on the Bernina railway, one of the World Heritage lines, and its climate is markedly warmer than the Engadin over the pass.

The landscape

• Turquoise water inside forest - unusual for an Alpine lake of this colour.
• Submerged trunks - visible in the shallows through clear water.
• Protected pine and larch - forest of national importance in Val di Campo.
• A trail to Val Viola - continuing toward the Italian border.

When to go

Late June to October. Half a day.

Before you go

The last road is narrow with paid parking, then about an hour on foot. Snow blocks the approach into June. There are no facilities at the lake. Poschiavo is a long way round from the Engadin over the Bernina pass.

Nearby

Poschiavo is down the valley; the Bernina pass and railway are north.

Key facts