This large beautiful lake, Lagh da Val Viola in the local dialect, is high up in the mountains in southeast Switzerland, near the Italian border. You can do a short or long hike to get here, depending on whether you get a spot in the small shuttle that services this alpine valley.

Lake Viola is very close to Lake Saoseo, so most people hike to both lakes on their visit. Both lakes are a photographer's dream and great place for a picnic.

This area is popular for hiking and picnics all summer long. But our favorite time to visit is late October when the larch trees turn bright yellow.

How to get there

First you need to drive or take a bus to Sfazù at the base of the Val da Camp valley. From here, you can either ride a shuttle bus to the shorter hike. Or start your long hike here.

If you came by car, there is a metered parking lot near the Sfazù shuttle bus stop. You cannot drive up the valley; it's a private road for residents only.

Shuttle bus

If you want a shorter hike, you'll need to reserve a spot on the small shuttle bus that brings you to Alp Camp.

To reserve, you must call at least one hour before departure, but the bus only has about 20 spots so it can sell out far in advance. You need to reserve a timeslot for each direction.

Call +41 81 844 10 42 to reserve. The office is open Mon-Fri 8:00-12:00 / 13:00-17:00. A round trip ticket costs CHF 16/adult and CHF 8/child, no discounts for Swiss travel cards. We had to pay in cash last time we went.

Hiking options

A: Easy hike from Alp Camp

Starting at the Alp Camp shuttle stop, you can hike directly to Lake Viola, about 45 mins, gaining about 125m. On your way back, take a short detour to Lake Saoseo before returning to the shuttle stop.

In total, it's about 4 km round trip, about 2 hours walking time. See trail map.

B: Mountain hike visiting both lakes

Our preferred hike is a loop that visits Lake Saoseo first then climbs into the mountainous landscape above the lakes. This gives you a fantastic bird's eye view of Lake Viola as you descend the mountain at the far side of the loop.

Short loop to both lakes: moderate • 2h25 • 5.6 km loop • 250m up and down
See trail map

C: Long hike from Sfazu

If you don't take the shuttle, you'll need to hike up the valley. It's a lovely trail, just a bit long, about 2 hours to reach Lake Saoseo and another hour to reach Lake Viola. So definitely start early in the day.

Long loop: Moderate • 5h30 • 15.2 km • 660m up and down
See trail map.

• Learn more about these hikes on SwissFamilyFun.com