Val Bavona

Hiking up the Val Bavona today. 4 hours plus lunch in a small Grotto, 600m altitude and exploring the small villages and hamlets on the way from Bignasco to S. Carlo.

As a special treat, I went swimming the cold Maggia river on the way back to Locarno.

Here a bit of background info:

The forbidding side of Val Bavona, frozen in time.

Val Bavona is one of the wildest valleys in the Swiss Alps. Bordering Ticino, it has remained frozen in the 16th century. The valley is only inhabited in summertime and has opted to remain true to its rustic roots, even shunning electricity.

A heritage to protect

Val Bavona's biodiversity, kitchen gardens growing on boulders and abandoned rural landscape all symbolise a heritage that needs to be protected. The valley was also chosen to illustrate the 2020 chocolate gold coin, an initiative of the non-profit organisations Swiss Heritage Society and Pro Natura.

https://houseofswitzerland.org/swissstories/history/forbidding-side-val-bavona-frozen-time#:~:text=Val%20Bavona%20is%20one%20of,Publication%20date%20April%2013th%2C%202022