Lago di Robièi, reservoir

Lago di Robièi is a reservoir in the alpine highlands of Ticino, sitting at about 1900 meters (6200 feet) in elevation. The lake is surrounded by rocky slopes and smaller water bodies, and was created by damming to provide water storage for hydroelectric power generation.

The reservoir is part of the Maggia power plants' system, with a usable capacity of 6.5 million cubic metres at 1,940 metres above sea level. It receives water from the Altstafel plant via a 13 km open-channel tunnel and from the Basòdino glacier through the Lago del Zött, connected by a linking tunnel. The San Carlo–Robièi cable car was built in 1972 for the power station's construction and now also serves tourists in summer.

The reservoir feeds the Bavona power station and takes water from the Altstafel plant in Valais through a 13 km free-flow tunnel. The San Carlo–Robièi cable car, built in 1972 for the power station's construction, also carries tourists in summer. The dam can be visited, and the Basòdino hut stands close by.

A cable car from San Carlo takes about 15 minutes to reach the lake (available June to October), or you can walk the roughly two-hour trail for a more scenic approach. Wear proper footwear and bring layers, as mountain weather changes quickly and conditions can be unpredictable at this elevation.

Nearby sits the Basodino Glacier, whose ice fields shape the landscape and make hikes feel like genuine alpine exploration with unusual geological features. A dedicated glaciology path offers 360-degree views of the glacier zones and provides rare insights into glacial landscapes along an accessible route.