Ponte dei Salti

The Ponte dei Salti crosses the Verzasca at Lavertezzo in two steep stone arches, humped so sharply that you climb rather than walk over it. It was built in the seventeenth century, and it sits in the part of the valley where the river has scoured the granite into smooth pale slabs and deep pools of very clear green water. That combination is why the bridge appears on so many pictures of Ticino, and why the riverbank around it is crowded from June onwards. The village behind it is small, with a church and a few stone houses, and paths run along the river in both directions.

Highlights

• The double arch - the two steep stone spans and the narrow humped crossing.
• The granite slabs - smooth pale rock scoured by the river on both banks.
• The pools - deep clear water in green and blue below the bridge.
• The riverside paths - trails upstream and downstream away from the crowded stretch.

When to go

June to September if you want to swim, though that is also when the valley is busiest. Weekday mornings before ten are the only reliably quiet times in summer. Late spring means high, cold meltwater and fewer people. Postbuses run often in season but fill up; parking at Lavertezzo is limited and expensive.

What to expect

It is heavily photographed and correspondingly crowded, with people queueing to stand on the arch in July and August. The river is cold, the current strong and the rocks slippery; jumping from the bridge has caused serious injuries and is discouraged. Litter and parking pressure in high season have made the village impose restrictions.

Nearby

The Verzasca valley continues upstream to stone villages, and Locarno and Lake Maggiore lie at its mouth.