Località Le Foci, 3, 38060 Tenno TN
An excursion among waterfalls and centuries-old caves
The Varone waterfalls are a natural wonder – near the Trentino shore of Lake Garda – formed over more than twenty thousand years thanks to the incessant work of the water which has eroded the rock over time.
The groundwater that comes out of Lake Tenno , in fact, forms the Magnone torrent which, at the point where it meets the rock, makes a jump of almost one hundred meters between the walls of the ravine, which it has helped to excavate over time.
And if once the waterfall and the cave, inside a private natural park, could only be visited by going up the stream directly into the water or by climbing on the adjacent rocks, today they can be visited by everyone thanks to the creation or restoration of paths, stairways, bridges and walkways that connect the various levels of the park within the heart of the mountain. There are many famous artists and personalities who over time have been captivated by this majestic grandeur, such as Prince Umberto II, Franz Kafka, Thomas Mann, and Gabriele D’Annunzio, who shares a piece of history with this place.
The architect Maroni, who signed the Vittoriale project (D'Annunzio's villa in Gardone) in the 1920s, is in fact the same one who erected the building at the entrance to the waterfall.
Nowadays the Varone waterfalls continue to be a perfect destination for excursions (even with children) and do not stop attracting thousands of visitors every year.
MANY POINTS OF VIEW, ONLY ONE EMOTION
The visit to the Varone waterfalls can be done from various points, which offer different and always exciting points of view. One of the observation points is the one that allows you to see the waterfall from below, in its final phase, through the Lower Cave. To admire the water in all its strength and power, in the midst of its fall, it is recommended to observe it from above, 40 meters higher up, in the Upper Cave.
LOWER CAVE
Following the walkway placed shortly after the entrance, it is enough to turn right at the point where the walkway enters the gorge and winds through curves and loops in the bowels of the mountain just one meter above the water level. It is a very deep gorge dug 55 meters deep by the centuries-old furrow of the waters that have eroded this rock for over twenty thousand years, in a drop of 98 meters. The roar of the water here is powerful and magnificent, and ends in a thousand sprays that permeate the air like a constant mist, in a surreal and magical atmosphere.
UPPER CAVE
After observing the waterfall at its lowest point, it's time to go up to the Upper cave, thanks to which you return again to the heart of the mountain. To get there, you go through a fifteen-meters tunnel that enters the rock, until you reach the funnel where the chasm dug by the water opens, inside which the waterfall flows with all its power, in a gorge that enters the mountain for almost a hundred meters. Looking down it is possible to see the small lake where the waterfall concludes its leap.
BOTANICAL GARDEN
In the path that goes from the Lower to the Upper Cave, you take a winding road of 115 steps among the flowers and flowerbeds of the Botanical Garden, from which you can enjoy a privileged view from the mountains to the plain of Riva del Garda. Thanks to a particular microclimate, here it is possible to observe both plants typical of the Mediterranean maquis and trees that usually grow in the high mountains: palms, olive trees, oleanders and cypresses alongside oaks, pines and larches. An open-air botany book in which to immerse yourself before entering the spectacular Upper Cave.
