September 24, 2025, 6:10 am | Read time: 4 minutes
For the fourth time, the TRAVELBOOK Award, Germany’s most prestigious tourism industry accolade, was presented in Berlin yesterday. Among the honorees was the best hidden gem region. One of the nominees was Vallemaggia (also known as Valle Maggia or Maggiatal) in Ticino, Switzerland. It is the largest valley in the canton and offers many opportunities for hiking and relaxation. TRAVELBOOK explains what makes the region so special.
Vallemaggia in Ticino
The journey from Lake Maggiore through Locarno to Vallemaggia is always fascinating. The transition from modern city to pristine Alpine landscape in Ticino begins abruptly and unexpectedly at Ponte Brolla. Here, one of the highlights of a day trip to Valle Maggia can be found: the smooth, deeply grooved rocks that serve as a rendezvous spot for romantic couples and as a venue for professional cliff divers who hold their world and European championships here.
Ponte Brolla is suitable for rock climbing, diving, relaxing, and hiking. However, swimming is something you might want to do only briefly and not a second time. The water is so icy cold that only the toughest can endure it for more than a few seconds.
The bizarre rock formations mark the beginning of Vallemaggia in Ticino. To the left, the road leads into Centovalli, which is also accessible by train. To the right, the road passes through Avegno and Gordevio to Maggia. Steep slopes rise on both sides, and the villages are mostly situated slightly elevated to the right of the road.
The higher the road climbs, the wilder the valley becomes. The houses, built from the region’s granite, nestle into the rugged landscape. You can get out and hike almost anywhere, but it’s especially beautiful further up.
By Cable Car to Dizzying Heights
At Bignasco, the path splits. To the left, a steep, narrow road continues to San Carlo, where you can park your car. A bus also goes there. From there, you switch to one of the world’s most spectacular cable cars. The Robiei cable car takes you at dizzying heights from ridge to ridge over entire valleys to the Robiei reservoir area.
The cable car was built in the 1960s. It enabled the construction of hydroelectric power plants, and even today, it remains the transport method for the power plant maintenance staff. In the summer months, it is also open to the public, allowing tourists to quickly and easily reach the Alpine landscape at the foot of the Basodino Glacier, with countless mountain lakes and hiking trails.
If you continue right from Bignasco up Vallemaggia, you pass through the picturesque villages of Sornico and Prato. It’s definitely worth stopping to spend an hour or two exploring the villages and climbing the adjacent slopes to the small pilgrimage chapels.
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Location on the Map
Methodology for the TRAVELBOOK AWARD
We say it every year: All the nominated regions, countries, and others for the TRAVELBOOK Award are already winners, even if they didn’t achieve overall victory. This also applies to Vallemaggia in Ticino, Switzerland. Every country had already made it to the shortlist in advance, selected from a large number of contenders in a category.
The TRAVELBOOK editorial team sought help from the community on Facebook and Instagram and consulted experts from the travel industry to create the shortlist. TRAVELBOOK readers then cast nearly 150,000 votes to choose their trending travel destinations for 2026.