Switzerland 2025 Ticino region

The Ticino region of southern Switzerland is very close to the border with Italy and has a very Italian vibe. The weather was warm and there were lots of lakeside restaurants to enjoy dinner with a pretty view of Lake Maggiore. 

We visited two of the three castles in Bellinzona in the morning and the Castel Grande was large and imposing with some lovely outdoor areas as well. We then set off to drive the Verzasca Valley. It was a winding road (again!) and somewhat narrow in places but the scenery was amazing. We stopped at the popular bridge, the Ponti dei Salti on the Verzasca River and admired the ancient Roman stone bridge and the rocky channels of the river. There were quite a few people there enjoying the cool water on such a warm day. As we drove further up the valley, all the way to Sonogno, we could see several waterfalls and charming little villages. This was our favorite of the two valleys and we wish we had dedicated a full day to the drive. 

The next day we drove the Maggia Valley where we liked the waterfall and stone houses at Foroglio and drove up as far as San Carlos before heading back. The stone houses were so cool and rustic, some even built directly into the rock of the hillside. It was interesting to see that the roofs were made from stone stacked directly onto wood frames without using any kind of mortar, just the pressure of the stones holding each other in place. It was very quiet up there especially once you pass Foroglio. There is a lot of roadwork everywhere we’ve been in Switzerland so far, from the cities to the small rustic roads. They’re working hard to complete the road repairs and construction before winter comes. 

In the afternoon we drove to Morcote to the Scherer gardens. They were a pretty succession of gardens and pavilions with different themes. It was not as large as we anticipated and a hot afternoon so we weren’t sure it was the best way to have spent our afternoon given the one hour drive and we hit heavy traffic again in Locarno on the way back to our hotel. 

A nice cold gelato after dinner was just what we needed to finish the day off right and we turned in early because we were heading to Zermatt the next morning.