Exploring the Hidden Gem: Lago di Sassilo

Beautifully located at the end of the Vallemaggia District, you can find a few lakes and hiking locations such as the Lago di Sassilo. This small but stunning lake is a place beautifully located for hikers, cyclists and those who want to take a car up. It is within the Ticino canton of Switzerland and a popular destination during the warmer months, but also stunning during Winter.

Read on to see our little inspiration on why you should visit Lago di Sassilo as well as some facts and our experience during our visit during early Autumn time.

Map of Lago di Sassilo Location

The lake is located on the way up to the Lago del Narèt. This you can see is a smaller lake compared to Lago del Narèt, but similar size to Lago Superiore. There are also many smaller lakes situated around the main three big lakes, all reachable with hiking.

Facts about Lago di Sassilo

Here are some facts we have found about Lago di Sassilo worth sharing:

It is in Lavizzara, which is part of the Vallemaggia District
Has an elevation of 2,069 metres / 6,788 feet
The closest village is Fusio, which you have to drive through to get to Lago di Sassilo
Coordinates are Latitude 46.47633° or 46° 28′ 35″ north / Longitude 8.59317° or 8° 35′ 35″ east
It is on the way and end of the road to Lago del Narèt

Our Hike Explorations At Lago di Sassilo

We loved our visit to the valley and Lago di Sassilo. We took a drive during the end of September when the Ticino Autumn colours were starting. It was a beautiful sunny day with only a few clouds, but it was rather windy at the top.

To get there, we took our own car and took our time up the valley. It’s also possible to hike up as well as to cycle, which we saw many with mountain bikes along the way.

The lake itself was the perfect spot to stop and relax. The wind was very calm here, sheltered from the nearby mountain. We wanted to hike from this point up to Lago del Narèt, which is not that much further, but in the end we drove up.

As you can see in the photos, we stopped by the lakeside in the sunshine and enjoyed the sound of the running water. We didn’t spot any nature but the scenery alone was breathtaking. A few cars had driven past during our visit, but no one stopped to join us, so it was like we had the lake all to ourselves.

Dawid did take some drone photos and videos while we were here, so he had a bit of fun with that while I took my own photos of how clear the water was!

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Visiting Tips

Here are some of our personal tips for visiting:

Drive Carefully

We would not suggest that you drive to the very top with a large campervan or motorhome. The roads are quite narrow and steep, so a small camper or your car with a roof tent is most suitable. The road is mostly concrete, with dirt and stone pathways along the way further at the top. It’s driveable with a normal car or motorbike during the warmer months, but we believe that the route to the top is closed during the winter months.

Keep a look out for wild animals

Along the way you have the chance to spot some local wildlife, such as the birds of pray or local deer. We didn’t spot much during our visit, but we were there by lunch time, so early morning or later in the evening would have been a better time to see local wildlife.

Dress for the weather

It can change quite rapidly at the top based on the high elevation above 2,000m. We visited on a gorgeous 25°c degree day in Ticino, but at the top it was only 3.5°c!!

We took coats with us to be sure we would not get cold. And so if you plan on hiking or staying outside for a longer period, make sure to check this and do the same.

Take a drink and snacks

It is always good when going for a drive to have some refreshments with you. Since this area is 100% nature, we highly suggest to take water and snacks with you, maybe even a picnic, for your visit.

Of course we want to highlight that you must take all your trash with you. Please do not litter the scenery. Take it all back home with you to trash and recycle appropriately.

Capture the scenery

The scenery is so stunning that you’ll want to stop many times for photos. Make sure your camera/phone is fully charged, with a powerbank with you if needed. Also make sure that if you are taking a camera, to have an SD card that isn’t already full. We did this once and couldn’t use it without deleting some previous photos first!