Verzasca Valley

The Verzasca Valley runs north from Locarno into the Ticino Alps, carved by the emerald-green Verzasca River over polished granite bedrock. The river's transparency and the colour of the water — produced by the smooth light-coloured rock beneath — have made it a photography destination, particularly around the double-arched Roman bridge at Lavertezzo. Abandoned stone hamlets dot the valley sides, and the Verzasca Dam above the village of Gordola is the site of the world's highest commercial bungee jump.