To escape the hustle & bustle of the city, we drove towards destination nature, Vallemaggia. It is one of the most beautiful nature reserves that winds its way through the Alps from Lake Maggiore. We decided to hike from Bignasco to Mondada.
It is not the most challenging hike but the natural surroundings are beautiful. After a few hundred meters, parallel with the road, starts a hiking trail. A small rocky path covered in moss beneath the green canopy of oak and beech trees. The whole valley is a sparsely populated area, with approximately 9 people per square kilometre. Which adds to the experience of a quiet randonnée. And another reason why it was a calm hike is that it is a cul-de-sac. (dead end valley) The main road stops at San Carlo.
Mondada is packed with traditional stone houses. Not only the walls but also the roofs. The roof tiles are made of centimetres thick solid rock. The roofs must weigh a ton. Another typical feature of the area are the grotto. They are small restaurants in someone’s home, packed with authenticity and love for local products. We had some lunch on the terrace of Grotto di Baloi with a beautiful view of a waterfall.
Our next stop was Valle Verzasca and Lavertezzo, a small village along the Verzasca river. It is a river that really invites you for sporting activities. Multiple kayakers are clearly enjoying themselves.
We had already read somewhere that the Ponte dei Salti bridge was apparently an Instagram hit. But we couldn’t have imagined it would be this bad. Since we had plenty of time, we first went for a walk further down the road and only returned later in the afternoon. Most of the fake walkers had already left or were sitting somewhere on a terrace. Happy me.
