I took the local bus at 7:06 and connected to the train arriving in Bellinzona at 8:47. My first stop was Castelgrande in the town center. I took the elevators inside the rock which were already operating when I arrived a little before 9 am. The sun had just reached the castle walls. I was completely alone and it was super nice.
Castelgrande has a vast history spanning thousands of years. The first fortifications on this rocky hill were built during the Roman Empire under Emperor Augustus in the late first century BC. The Romans used this strategic position to control the major Alpine passes including the Gotthard and San Bernardino routes. Centuries later in the 14th and 15th centuries the powerful Dukes of Milan specifically the Visconti and Sforza families rebuilt and expanded the fortress. They constructed the massive defensive walls known as the Murata which were designed to completely block the valley and stop the Swiss confederates from advancing south into Italy. The castle features two main towers called the White Tower and the Black Tower which still dominate the city skyline today.
THE SWEATY CLIMB TO CASTELLO DI MONTEBELLO
I walked the road back down to the city center and then walked up to the second castle Castello di Montebello. It was only about 22 degrees Celsius but I sweated quite a bit on the way up. At the top I had a really nice view of the city and the valley. I stayed there a bit and enjoyed the view.
Montebello sits exactly 90 meters above Castelgrande on a rocky spur. It was built around 1290 by the Rusca family who were wealthy merchants and nobles from Como. After the Visconti family of Milan conquered Bellinzona in the 14th century they took over Montebello and heavily expanded its defenses. The castle is surrounded by deep defensive walls a moat and a drawbridge. It was designed to protect the eastern side of the valley and provide a secondary defense line if Castelgrande ever fell.
I had the possibility to go directly to the river valleys but I did not want to stress. I chose to stay in Bellinzona a bit longer. For the last 30 minutes I sat on the trench by the water fountain in the city center watching people.
THE 17TH CENTURY STONE BRIDGE IN LAVERTEZZO
I walked to the station and took the 10:46 train to Tenero followed by the 11:18 bus. I arrived at Lavertezzo paese at 11:42. I wanted to see the famous double arch stone bridge. People often associate this region with the Maggia valley but this specific bridge crosses the Verzasca river. It is called Ponte dei Salti which translates to bridge of jumps.
Many tourists mistakenly believe this is a Roman bridge but it was actually built in the 17th century around 400 years ago. It was constructed using local rubble stone to perfectly match the rocky riverbed. In 1868 a massive flood partially destroyed the structure and it was accurately reconstructed in 1960. I spent more or less 30 minutes there. I wanted to swim and had everything with me but in the end I just watched the turquoise water. I did not want to rush.
THE ENGINEERING MARVEL OF THE CONTRA DAM
I took the 12:15 bus and arrived at the dam at 12:30. At this point I was asking myself why the heck am I doing it. I was not afraid but a bit nervous and it was a strange feeling.
The Contra Dam also known as the Verzasca Dam is a massive engineering project completed in 1965. It was designed by the Swiss engineer Giovanni Lombardi. The structure is a slender concrete arch dam that stands 220 meters tall and stretches 380 meters across the top crest. It holds back the artificial Lago di Vogorno and was built to generate hydroelectric power for the region. The dam became a global icon in 1995 when it was featured in the opening scene of the James Bond movie GoldenEye where stuntman Wayne Michaels performed a record breaking dive. Following the success of the film commercial bungee jumping operations opened at the dam. Thrill seekers have now been jumping from this exact spot for 30 years.
THE 220 METER BUNGEE JUMP
Some people jumped before me and then it was my turn. I was still a bit nervous when I jumped but once I was in the air it was super nice. I really liked how I did the exit because it was super stable. The rope pulled me and I went head first down. The bouncings were intense. After they stopped I attached myself to the rope they let down.
A random guy from Basel captured a video for me on his phone which was super nice. I also rented the GoPro camera from the company for 39 CHF. They told me bringing my own camera was not allowed.
HEADING HOME TO EDLIBACH
I chilled a bit at the dam. I took the bus at 14:30 and went straight home. I arrived back at around 5 in the evening. First I wanted to go to Locarno and take the boat from there but in the end I decided it was a nice day and I can do the boat ride another time.
