Orrido di Ponte Alto
Do you know that, just a short distance from the centre of Trento, you can see two beautiful waterfalls dive into a narrow canyon between the rocks? From the FS (train) station, all you need to do is take an extra-urban bus to reach the Ravine (Orrido) of Ponte Alto in less than half an hour. It is a spectacular canyon, carved by the tumultuous waters of the Fersina stream over thousands of years.
In addition to its natural beauty, the Orrido di Ponte Alto also has important historical value. Here, in 1500, to prevent flooding in the city, some of the oldest water works in the world were built, giving life to two spectacular waterfalls, more than 40 metres high, which make their way through red rock cliffs, creating exciting light and sound effects.
Considered a tourist attraction of the city of Trento since the early Twentieth century, the trail among the canyon walls was closed in the 1980s for safety reasons. Thanks to maintenance and refurbishment work which started in 2015, today the trail has been reopened to visitors, who can walk among the rocks and waterfalls only accompanied by an expert guide. On certain dates, there are theatrical guided tours. You can find additional information on the Orrido di Ponte Alto website.
HOW TO GET THERE
The Ravine can be reached by the extra-urban bus line from Trento to Pergine or vice-versa. Otherwise you can reach the hamlet of Cognola, near Trento, with the urban bus lines, and then walk the rest of the way (about 10 minutes). If you come by car, you can park at the Cognola sports complex in Via Ponte Alto.
