Definition of waterfall: the plunging of a body of water, rivers or streams, down a drop of varying height. This sequence of words sounds almost terrifying, but we all know how, instead of instilling fear, waterfalls are a paradisiacal and inviting sight in the hottest months of summer, akin to the stereotypical oasis for someone lost in the desert. A natural spectacle, that of the great water falls, capable of uniting the charm of walking in nature with the coolness and the roar of water that plunges among the rocks, in a contrast that in summer becomes even more evocative.
Italy, from the Alps to the Apennines and beyond, guards fantastic waterfalls. The most beautiful are those that must be reached on foot, following nature trails that lead before these natural wonders, like treasure chests to be uncovered following a treasure map.
Venus’s Hair Waterfalls
A few minutes from the town of Casaletto Spartano, a municipality of about 1,200 inhabitants in the province of Salerno, in Campania, rises the Oasis of Venus’s Hair, one of the main natural attractions of the area. The name evokes a suggestive legend according to which the goddess Venus would have left here a lock of her hair, but it also derives from the delicate fern Capelvenere that grows lush on the moist rocks, creating the effect of a green mane traced by the water.
The area where the waterfall rises takes its name from the delicate fern capelvenere, a plant that covers the rocks dampened by the spray of the fall and that thus creates the impression of a large green mane, making the overall sight rare and unusual. The waters of the Rio Bussentino, cold even in full summer, form small natural pools with turquoise reflections, framed by an ancient mill and the remains of a bridge of Norman origin.
Around the stream, an approximately three-kilometer loop runs through wooden walkways and bridges, taking just over an hour to complete. A trail suitable for everyone, identified for families with children, in a shaded and cool environment that offers relief even on the hottest days.
Lillaz Waterfalls
In the heart of the Valle d’Aosta, a few steps from the town of Cogne and inside the Gran Paradiso National Park, rise the Lillaz Falls.
The waters of the Urtier stream perform here three foaming jumps, for an overall height of about 150 meters, set among alpine meadows and larch forests that make the walk enjoyable at every stage. At the foot of the falls a beautiful pool of crystal-clear water forms.
The starting point of the hike to the waterfalls is the parking lot at the entrance of the hamlet of Lillaz, from which after about ten minutes of walking along a nearly flat path that runs beside the stream, you reach the base of the first and most famous drop. Those who wish to admire the other two can continue along a somewhat steeper route, with stairs and exposed passages, which in total takes just over an hour for the round trip.
Varone Waterfall
The Varone Waterfall is a true peculiarity of nature, the kind of place you have to see at least once in a lifetime. It is located near Riva del Garda, in the municipality of Tenno: here the waters of the Magnone stream plunge for almost 100 meters into a canyon of limestone rock eroded over roughly 20,000 years, creating a spectacular canyon that can be admired through a private natural park, which has allowed visits for more than a century. The first infrastructures to enable visiting the site date back to 1874.
From the entrance, housed in a historic building designed by the architect Giancarlo Maroni (the same who designed the Vittoriale degli Italiani), a path leads to the so-called lower cave, where the final part of the waterfall is observed. Then, via about a hundred stairs, one passes to the upper cave. It is here that the imposing nature of the drop is fully grasped, amid the roar of the water and the mist that refreshes the air even on the hottest days.
The Varone Waterfall has been visited by illustrious figures such as Thomas Mann (it is said that a line from The Magic Mountain may have been inspired by the fall), Gabriele d’Annunzio, Franz Kafka, and Emperor Franz Joseph I of the House of Habsburg.
Toce Waterfall
Val Formazza, at the northernmost edge of Piedmont. Here the Toce Waterfall, with its 143-meter drop, represents one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the Alps.
Today its flow depends on the controlled release of water from the Morasco artificial lake: for this reason it shows its full force only within certain time windows between June and September, with times to be verified before the visit. However, the beautiful path to reach it remains, in any case, a pleasant itinerary.
Indeed, although the Toce Waterfall is easily reachable with a very short 10-minute walk from the nearest drivable road, it deserves to follow the lovely path that traces the ancient Via Francisca route, an old connection between Lombardy, Switzerland and France. Along the eleven kilometers of the route you pass through the Walser villages (a Germanic-origin Alpine minority with distinctive traditions) of Ponte, Brendo, Grovella, Canza, Sotto Frua and finally Frua, the closest to the waterfall, so much so that it is sometimes referred to as Frua Waterfall.
In this last hamlet you can still find the Albergo Cascata, which saw a strong tourist influx in the early twentieth century, shining during the Belle Époque. The spectacle of the Toce Waterfall is truly majestic and thunderous, with the great mass of water spreading into a thousand rivulets along the vertiginous rock wall of the mountain.
Acquacheta Waterfall
We begin from San Benedetto in Alpe, at the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, in the heart of the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, and follow a nice path along the Acquacheta stream, through splendid oak, chestnut and beech forests and Apennine viewpoints. Finally, after almost two hours of walking, one faces a last uphill stretch that leads to a privileged natural balcony overlooking it: the Acquacheta Waterfall, a remarkable 70-meter drop among inclined rocks capable of inspiring Dante Alighieri to compare it with Flegetonte, the thundering river of the XVI canto of the Inferno.
Nearby, along the path, a little further ahead of the panoramic balcony, rises another beautiful and powerful waterfall, the Lavane Waterfall, with a beautiful and deep pool of fresh water, ideal for a refreshing plunge during a break from the hike, before tackling the return route.
Dardagna Waterfalls
The Corno alle Scale Regional Park is a protected area among the peaks of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. Here the Dardagna torrent roars, forming seven consecutive drops, each with its own viewing point along the lovely trail that explores them.
The tallest of the drops exceeds 30 meters, the others hover around 15, in a sequence of sprays and vapors that makes the trek particularly scenic, especially on the hotter days of summer.
The starting point is the so-called Madonna dell’Acero, from which the CAI 331 trail leads in about an hour to the first and most imposing drop. To complete the visit to the other six, you then take the CAI 333 trail, which climbs through beech forests with some steeper stretches, aided by steps and handrails, eventually closing the loop by passing by the Cavone lake.
The Dardagna Falls form a true concert of water jumps that interrupt the silence of a majestic forest, where even the most sultry day becomes a pleasant exploration of nature.
Rio Verde Waterfalls
The Rio Verde Waterfalls are the highest in the Italian Apennines. They are located in Abruzzo, among the mountains of the Val di Sangro, protected by a dedicated Nature Reserve. The waters of the Verde torrent plunge a total of over 200 meters, divided into three drops of 40, 90 and 30 meters, before joining the Sangro river.
From the visitor center of the Cascate del Verde Nature Reserve, in the small village of Borrello, one takes a nature trail that in a few minutes leads to an initial viewpoint, from which the entire valley can be overlooked. To reach the true heart of the spectacle, however, one must tackle a more daring staircase of about 250 steps, which descends to a close overlook of the waterfall. The forest vegetation is extremely rich, and the sight of this thread of water descending into the void from a vertical rock wall is truly monumental and stupefying.
The entire excursion takes just over an hour, and access to the reserve requires a small entrance fee.
Marmarico Waterfall
The Marmarico Waterfall is the highest in Calabria and in the entire southern Apennines, with an overall drop of 114 meters along the upper course of the Stilaro river. The name, of dialect origin, means “slow” or “heavy,” precisely pointing to the optical illusion whereby the water, despite falling relentlessly, seems almost immovable to the observer.
It is located in the Serre Regional Park, in the territory of Bivongi, in the province of Reggio Calabria, and from the town begins the most commonly traveled route to reach this powerful and spectacular treasure of freshwater.
You start from the Bagni di Guida, near an old hydroelectric plant. You ascend along a dirt road but drivable for the first kilometer, then take a forest road that occasionally offers spectacular views of the surrounding nature (the road is traversed by off-road guided tours to the waterfall), where wooded summits and valleys alternate. After about five kilometers of walking you reach the Vallone Folea, continuing on the final stretch uphill along a narrow path. You arrive at the destination in about another 15 minutes of walking, and in front of the waterfall you can plunge into the beautiful pool at the foot of the drop.
