Verzasca Valley
The ehtnographic path: Lavertezzo – Revöira – Motta, 5km
Rain, rain, rain in the northern part of Switzerland for weeks. We had enough. A great weather forecast for the Tessin part pulled us south.
So off we go for a short holiday to the Italian-speaking Switzerland and indeed, when our car emerges from the Gothard Tunnel, the sky is … blue! Yipiiiii.
The first destination is the Verzasca Valley, where one feels as if the time has stopped long ago. A narrow valley with the emerald-green Verzasca river, sandwiched by dense green forest and overhanging cliff-like mountains.
After we drop our bag at our AirBnB accommodation, a beautifully restored, traditional stone farmhouse in the charming village of Sambugaro, just above Lavertezzo, we start a 3-hour (supposed to be) historical walk from the village, up to the valley.
Apparently we made a wrong turn (we’re great at it) leaving the village and end up at some water reservoir with apparently nowhere to go but back. Philippe’s legendary sense of direction (iPhone/GPS) leads us straight up a 45° slope in a forest to join the original path much higher up. Our heart rate goes down to normal while we walk flanked by many mysterious and abandoned houses and mossed ruins, prove of settlements a long time ago.
Higher up we arrive at Revöira where there is a cluster of beautiful, small stone houses, much more intact, with hand-carved stone water bassins. Coming around a corner I see two women chatting and one of them said, “Hi, Yasuko!”. I don’t recall to have any acquaintance in this deep valley so I was surprised, but it turns out that it is our AirBnB host, Rosemarie! She recognizes me from the photo in our AirBnB profile. Seems not many Asian women running around here. She kindly invites Philippe and me to her house perched on the hill, with a fantastic view of the Verzasca valley.
Her husband Gill, a local carpenter/hunter from this region, owns several traditional stone houses which he fixed little by little. Rosemarie, a German and nurse by profession, furnished and turned them into beautiful guesthouses. By talking to her, we could tell that she loves the region with its traditional stone houses and her life here. What a wonderful encounter with that passionate lady.
We finish at the super famous and a million times photographed roman bridge in Lavertezzo. Yeah, yeah, we take another few and go for dinner at a Grotto. Local cheeses, salami and Merlot is the only menu option. Well, we go for cheese, salami and Merlot…
Fly, Hike & Travel. 