3-day Trip to the Ticino: Day 3 -- Visit to the Lavizzara Valley

(This post created on August 16, 2026 based on a Facebook Album I made at the time).

Saturday May 17, 2014 -- It got cold again here (10 deg. and loads of rain) so this time we really did "escape" to the South where it is warmer and sunny(er)! Urs's second Mom lives here in the Italian part of Switzerland so we stayed with her and I got to work on my Italian again!

The village of Fusio is tucked away at the end of the lovely Lavizzara Valley, 45 km from Locarno up the Maggia Valley, and then along narrow roads with loads of hairpin turns. This time we went by car instead of bus, and visited the dam at Lake Sambuco past Fusio at the very end of the valley, and also had a look at a favourite landmark for the Ticinese: the Church of San Giovanni Battista, a unique architectural structure built by Mario Botta, a renowned Swiss Architect, on the spot of the previous 350-year-old Church which was swept away by an avalanche in 1986.

We also had a very fancy and pricey lunch: Risotto with Porcini mushrooms in a Parmesan Crust Bowl....

Heading North up the Maggia Valley.

Heading North up the Maggia Valley. This lovely church is just north of the village of Cevio, and is called "Chiesa di S.Maria Assunta e S.Giovanni Battista"

At Bignasco, the Bavona Valley splits off from the Maggia Valley, and then further back it becomes the Lavizzara Valley. Here again it splits into two: The Peccia Valley to the west which we look up as we head along the other valley toward Fusio along a series of narrow hairpin turns.

Now we are in the upper valley, passing a couple of villages on the way to Fusio, which is the last village at the back of the Lavizzara Valley.

In the little hamlet called Mogno (just before Fusio) stands the renowned "church" called San Giovanni Battista, designed by the famous Swiss architect Mario Botta.

We did our first stop here to have a look at the church.

Details of the San Giovanni Battista church near Fusio. It is built entirely of local granite and marble.

Interesting interior of this unusual structure. It's like an optical illusion.

This is built on the site of the previous 350-year-old Church which was swept away by an avalanche in 1986.

We then continued on toward Fusio, where we had lunch in a hotel outside of the main village, with this view.

It was a pretty fancy (and expensive) dish, Risotto with Porcini mushrooms in a Parmesan Crust Bowl. This is the kind of place that only has two items on the menu. You eat whatever they cook that day!

Another view of the village after our lunch before we head on by car toward the dam at Lake Sambuco.

View of the dam as we park the car, and from here we can walk onto the dam.

A look down at the hugeness of the dam.

From the level of the dam, this view is down the valley. The village of Fusio is not visible from here.

On top of the dam now, and looking northwards across Lake Sambuco.

Panorama view of the north side of the dam and Lake Sambuco.

Down below is the village of Fusio. It looked so inviting to hike down the trail instead of going back by car, but to be honest, my legs were tired from the hikes we had done the previous two days, so we just took the car back.