Ponti dei Salti Bridge at Lavertezzo & River Swimming

This gorgeous river with crystal clear water in southern Switzerland is a beloved spot for swimming and sunbathing on hot summer days.

You can splash and swim in lots of places along the river, but the most popular place is at Lavertezzo where you can easily spend several lazy hours, soaking in the sun, splashing in the icy pools, wandering around the rocks, and watching crazy show-offs doing flips off the iconic two arch bridge.

It can be a dangerous place as there are some big rapids and swift currents. But there are many small natural pools secluded within the rocks, which are safe for small children. We love this place and hope you do too.

How to get to Ponti dei Salti

The Ponte dei Salti bridge is located in Lavertezzo in the Verzasca valley, north of Locarno in southern Switzerland. You can reach Lavertezzo by car or bus. 

By public transit:

Take a train to Tenero, then bus 321 to Lavertezzo, Paese. It’s a long trip from Zurich, so probably better to visit while staying in the Locarno area.

By car:

Drive to Lavertezzo. There are a few short term parking spots near the bridge and in the Lavertezzo village, which fill up quickly on weekends. If you plan to swim or hike, better to park in the larger lot about 500m up the road from the bridge. See on Google Maps. Last time we went it cost CHF 10/day, payable with coins or parking app.

Planning your day

From the village, it’s a very short walk along the main road to the bridge. Most people walk across the river and lounge on the rocks just south of the bridge.

If you are with small children, you may prefer to spend your time at the grassy picnic area on the east side of the river, which has a playground. A short walk south of this park, you’ll reach a calmer part of the river that is a bit safer for swimming.

Where to eat

We suggest a picnic, but note that fires are often not allowed as this is very dry region.

Next to the bridge, there is Grotto al Ponte, a small cafe with outdoor seating. In the Laverterro village, there is Chiosco Deka, small kiosk selling sandwiches and snacks. 

Hiking

If you like to hike, we suggest starting your day with a hike along the river, ending at the bridge. You can adjust the hike distance from 4 – 13.4 km. See hike info and trail map.

The second half of the river trail has marble run activities for kids. Learn about the “BoBosco” activity trail.

Swimming Safety

Before I continue, a short warning. This is a wild river, with no lifeguard or emergency services on site. Use caution! There are signs all over this area reminding people to be very careful in and around the river.

The water is icy cold even in the middle of summer, so it’s only good to swim on a very hot day. Some parts of the river are more dangerous than others so pick your swimming spot carefully. Also, the water level changes, so when you go, conditions may be very different from what is shown in my photos. 

Be extra careful with children and watch them very carefully. Stay away from the big rapids and don’t let your kids wander on their own.

Our first time, I was really nervous about bringing my little kids. But once I was there, it was really obvious where it was safe to swim with little kids and where not to go. Please use common sense and good judgment.

Photo story

1. Getting to Lavertezzo

On your way up the valley, you pass an enormous dam which was the location of James Bond’s bungee jump in the film Goldeneye. You can do it too or just walk across the dam like we did.

Keep driving to Lavertezzo. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you see the two arch rock bridge below.

In Lavertezzo, there are a couple dozen metered parking spots with a short term limit (3 hours the last time we were there). There is a bigger parking area with all-day parking about 500m farther up the road. We could pay with change, cards and parking app.

2. Visiting the bridge

Depending on where you parked or got off the bus, you’ll walk on the road, then branch onto a walking path that leads to the bridge as shown here. 

If you don’t want to walk on the bridge, this path is a good place to take pictures and watch people jumping off the bridge.

Most people lounge on the rocks on the west side of the river. To get there, cross the bridge and wander down the rocks, no official walking path.

When walking across the bridge, note that the sides have very low railings. This made me very nervous for myself and my small kids.

Plan to stop on the bridge to take pictures as this is one of the nicest views of the river. Some people jump off this bridge into the river – not recommended. 

After the bridge, walk along the rocks until you find a good spot. Most people hang out right next to the bridge, so it initially looks very crowded. But as you make you way farther down the river, there’s lots of room to spread out.

It’s best to wear river shoes as you may need to dip in and out of little pools as you wander.

This was our home base and picnic spot, next to the rapids. There is almost no shade in this area unless you climb off the rocks into the forest. So we were happy to get this little tree. It’s rocky, not sandy, so it’s best to bring a comfy picnic blanket.

Some sections are rough and fast like below. Stay away from these areas.

There are lots of calm contained pools for safe bathing.

There are a lot of little shallow pools where little kids can safely splash. It’s cold but on a hot day, it doesn’t bother you too much. Some pools are deceptively deep and slippery, so test them before sending in non-swimmers and remember to bring floaties.

Some pools, like the one below, are ankle deep and a bit sandy, perfect for toddlers.

We dared each other to stand under this icy waterfall.

Some pools are deep enough to swim in, like the one below.

Some rocks form natural water slides, which provided endless fun for my boys.

If you want a little more excitement, there is short section of the river where you can jump in and float down the river for a short distance and exit the river well before the rapids start. The exit point shown above is pretty much enclosed, so you can swim around in this part without being sucked into the main river.

But be warned that the river is much colder than the shallow pools in the rocks. Much colder!!! So before jumping in, test out the water. My husband and older son practically flew out of the icy water after jumping in and were a bit in shock.

If nothing else, this area is simply beautiful. The water is crystal clear and the rock formations so interesting.

Picnic area & playground

On the road side of the river, you can walk south (opposite direction of the bridge) to a little park with picnic tables, grill pit, fountain and small playground (the grassy spot at the end of the walkway on the left of this photo).

The park is under those trees below. It has a beautiful view of the river and rapids and could be a good alternative if you want to enjoy the view but don’t want to swim.

Just south of the grassy area, there is a calmer part of the river. You can swim more safely here. But there is still a current and cold water. So be careful.

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