Switzerland Sightseeing Part 4 – Ascona, Maggiatal, and Verzascatal

We're traveling to Italy (old running gag), but stopping more or less just before the border and preferring to stay in Switzerland's sunny spot, to Ticino. Wonderful weather is forecast for the coming weekend. We've booked a hotel in Ascona, from where we'll visit some great spots in the area, including the Verzasca Valley. But even without an excursion into the „interior,“ you can really relax well on Lake Maggiore. The great weather invites you to linger on the hotel's private beach or in the outdoor wellness area. We do this also between excursions, meals, and our daily sleep *g*

But the actual vacation truly begins with the journey. We're driving from Chur over the San Bernardino Pass and enjoy a little cool-down at 9°C, brrr….but in return, we have a super beautiful view of the mountains and even some snow, in June.

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1 Ascona
2 Verzasca
3 Maggiatal
4 [Promotion] OUTXE Solar Powerbank with Fast Charging Function

Ascona

Right next to Locarno is Ascona, on the shores of the idyllic Lake Maggiore. The entire town center is a pedestrian zone and therefore car-free. You can park in one of the parking garages above the town, or you can leave your car at the hotel and walk to Ascona, as we did. (Ed. Note: Our hotel is in the middle of town *g*). The town has nice little shops that you can pass by on your way down to the promenade. There, one restaurant is lined up after another, connected by the occasional delicious gelato shop. Markets are also held here regularly, so in the fall of 2017, we attended a roasted chestnut event at the farmer's market here.

It's very romantic to stroll along the promenade here in the evening and end the day with a glass of red wine.

Verzasca

Not far from Ascona lies the Verzasca Valley (Valle Verzasca), which means „green water“ and refers to the river of the same name. This river flows into Lake Maggiore near Tenero. Above the mouth of the river is a large dam, which became famous not least through James Bond – GoldenEye. Today, a bungee station is located in the middle of the dam. Here you can experience live what "high" means! *laughs* But a look into the gorge is definitely worthwhile. We'll leave the bungee jumping to others today. By the way, there is a sunken village in the reservoir behind the dam, which can be seen when the water level is low.

Further upstream, you reach the Ponte sei Salti, a double-arched bridge familiar from postcards or films. Swimming in the Verzasca is also possible, but very dangerous. The currents here are unpredictable, and you should know in advance where you can and cannot swim.

Maggiatal

Unlike the Verzasca Valley, the Maggia Valley is more relaxed. There are no high dams to jump off and very, very many boring safe swimming spots, for example Ponte Brolla, just after Locarno when you drive into the valley. The valley is simply beautiful in terms of scenery. It's worth driving through the entire valley to San Carlo. There you will see countless idyllic mountain villages or valley villages 🙂 On the Via Cantonale, drive to Bignasco and turn onto Via Bavona right after the bridge. This leads through the Bavona valley to San Carlo, where there is also a cable car. Here too, there are many beautiful swimming coves and large waterfalls. We stop here and there and relax by the river/stream. Feel free to bring hiking boots. There are several hundred kilometers of hiking trails. It would certainly also be interesting to explore the valley by bicycle. Since I don't have a bicycle, I prefer to take the car 😉

[Promotion] OUTXE Solar Powerbank with Fast Charging Function

On this trip, I have a power bank from OUTXE, which was kindly provided to me for testing. This power bank allows you to conveniently charge standard cell phones and tablets. I used a Samsung Galaxy S7 and a Huawei Honor 9 for the test. These can be fully charged up to 5 times, and even in a relatively short time (approx. one hour).

That's why I also brought this power bank despite the road trip, so I could quickly and efficiently charge my cell phone during breaks and didn't have to leave it plugged in in the car.

The power bank is fully recharged from the power outlet within 6 hours. However, using solar power takes up to 100 hours. Therefore, the solar function is primarily intended for emergencies. But it's noticeable that the power bank is continuously charging even in low light.

Here's a small comparison. I charged an S7 with the power bank (left picture), then in the car via USB for comparison (middle picture), and once more in the office via NFC, wirelessly (right picture). On average, the power bank was more than twice as fast. So comparable to a standard fast charger.

I can recommend this power bank from OUTXE for camping. Unfortunately, with 24000 mAh, it has a considerable weight of 700 g. This makes it less suitable for hiking. However, since the power bank has two outputs, it's family-friendly and therefore quite useful for camping or road trips.

The processing leaves a very good impression, and the power bank is also robust, protected from rain, dirt, and drops. All ports are protected by rubber caps.

You can find the article here at OUTXE watch and at Amazon order it right away. The power bank is also available there in smaller versions, which are also a bit lighter.

But now, back to our road trip in Ticino, and finally, some beautiful photos. Here is the gallery. Enjoy!!!

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