Ponte dei Salti, Lavertezzo, Switzerland

The 'Ponte dei Salti' stone bridge soars over the turquoise Verzasca with two arches. 400 years after its completion, is draws visitors in droves on a daily basis. Some photograph the picture-perfect subject from all sides, others use the bridge as a springboard for diving into the refreshing water.

Anyone driving on the narrow road which meanders along the green Verzasca valley cannot miss the stone bridge at Lavertezzo: with its two arches and the elegant curvature, the 'Ponte dei Salti' makes an exciting contrast to the otherwise rather wild nature of the valley and offers the multitudes of visitors from around the world a picture-perfect subject for their holiday photo album.

While some start on the various hiking routes from here, others enjoy the picturesque bathing site. They leap from the medieval double arch bridge into the turquoise waters of the Verzasca and then lie on a stone in the sun. Anyone who wants to embellish their bathing trip with a little more history can find another architectural gem in Lavertezzo: the 'Beata Vergine degli Angeli' church.

References:

myswitzerland.com

Miscellaneous historic sites in Switzerland

User Reviews

Ambarish Prakash (16 months ago)
Beautiful location to hang out. Some shallow and deep areas as well. Great for swimming!

Ulia Bogush (2 years ago)
Great place for rock climbing!! I saw a lot of people coming here for 10-30 minutes to take a photo and go back. However, I would recommend staying here for at least 3-4 hours to climb around and fully enjoy the place!

Petr Kupka (2 years ago)
Incredibly beautiful sight and its surroundings are perfect for picnicking or just laying on the sun and relaxing. The place is a bit too touristic though, I recommend to come early to avoid stress with parking.

Diego Cohen (2 years ago)
Super refreshing waters to swim in. Walk up/down the main point to have more private swimming spaces. Be careful though; it's still a river.

Ursula Burgisser (2 years ago)
Amazing, super easy to get here on public transportation. The water is cold but soon clean and inviting. Everybody was friendly.

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The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.

The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick.

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