The most transparent water stream - Verzasca (a river in Switzerland)

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Verzasca is a small river that flows in Switzerland. Its length is only 30 km. The river overcomes its path through picturesque places - valleys, chestnut forests and vineyards. Such beautiful landscapes will not leave anyone indifferent. That is why every year the country receives a large number of tourists in a hurry to see the beauty of the mountain miracle.

Where is the Verzasca River?

The path of the water flow passes through the canton of Ticino. This area is a territorial unit of Switzerland. The river flows through the valley, which has the same name. The channel frames the mountain slope, gracefully descending to its foot. Picturesque places are located along the entire length of the coastline. The stream flows in a southerly direction, flowing into Lake Maggiore.

A brief description of the river

Verzaska is a river that descends from the mountains. It is this factor that is decisive for the nature of the watercourse. It is worth noting that in some places there is a very strong current, as it originates at the top of a height of 3000 m.

However, not only the picturesque nature attracts tourists here, but also the unique property of the river. The fact is that the water in Verzasca is absolutely transparent, just incredibly crystal! Looking at it, it seems that this is just a painted picture, everything here is so perfect. This mountain stream attracts divers, jumpers, and just thrill-seekers. However, as in any mountain river, it also has its pitfalls.

Depth

Ten meters is the average depth of the Verzasca mountain stream. The river has a rather complex character, so the structure of the bottom here is unpredictable: there are areas where this parameter reaches up to 15 m. The danger lies in the fact that Verzasca is “insidious” and is distinguished by stormy underwater streams. That is why the most beautiful place in the world is also the most dangerous, in particular for divers. But this does little to stop adventurers, because it is so incredible to watch from a 10-meter depth, through crystal water, behind trees, shores and clouds…

Features of the mountain stream

Those tourists who come here to watch the underwater world of the mountain stream will be disappointed. The fact is that Verzasca is a dead river, in the sense that the flora and fauna are absent here. For a long time it was believed that this feature is due to the content of high acidity in the water. However, this hypothesis has now been refuted. Studies have been conducted that have confirmed that the level of acidity is within acceptable limits. Perhaps the fish from hereSufficiently cold water scares away (the temperature does not rise above +100) and dangerous turbulent currents. There is no reliable information yet, so there may be other unexplored mysteries of the local world.

Unique experiences for vacationers

The Verzasca River (a photo of its unique beauty can be seen in the article), along with the surrounding landscapes, clear water with unique properties, is just an ideal place for tourism development. The most common here are extreme sports such as diving, bungee jumping.

Actually, the impetus for the development of bungee jumping in this place was made by none other than Agent 007 himself! In one of the episodes, lead actor P. Brosnan jumps from a high dam into a lake. Then, in 1995, this stunt won the prestigious Baft Award and, according to film critics, is the most spectacular in the history of cinema. And it's all about the location where the episode was filmed.

Another extreme sport on Verzasca is rafting. Descent along the mountain rivers is carried out in the amount of 6-8 people on an inflatable boat - a raft. Also a rather dangerous hobby, but often found on the mountainside of Switzerland.

Fortunately, even those who don't like extreme sports have something to visit in this area. Incredibly beautiful nature, coniferous forests have hiking trails with signs and even places equipped for camping. And in the river valley there is an ancient village, whose houses are made of gneiss (stone). No one lives there anymore, but the place is in demand among tourists.

Dam

Very close to the mouth of the river Verzasca blocked by a high dam of the same name. Its purpose is to reduce the speed of the current in front of Lake Maggiore. Due to the fact that the river is mountainous and has a direction from the top to the bottom, the dam was built 220 meters high.

Unique building on the river

Another beautiful place in the valley is the stone arched bridge. It was built in the 17th century, called Roman. What influenced the name is not exactly known. There are two versions:

• Romans did the construction;
• architectural feature.

Being on the bridge, you can view the scenery from a completely different angle.

Bathing in the mountain river is prohibited due to water temperature and dangerous currents. There is a warning sign at almost every corner. But this does not frighten tourists, and local residents consider it their duty to “watch” off the coast and notify people of the dangers.