A guide to the Italian waterfalls: Cascata delle Marmore (165 m), Serio (315 m), Toce, Stanghe, Lillaz in the Aosta Valley. Heights, access
Italy has waterfalls that almost no one knows outside the regional borders, and very famous waterfalls that most visitors don't see in the right conditions. The Cascata delle Marmore is artificial, built by the Romans and operated at precise times. The Cascata del Serio (315 m) is the highest in Italy, but it flows only 4 days a year. The Gorropu has gorges without waterfalls. This guide doesn't lie about the numbers.
| Waterfall | Height | Region | Permanence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cascata del Serio | 315 m (3 drops) | Bergamo (BG) | 4 Sundays/year |
| Cascata della Froda | 110 m | Ticino (CH, near the border) | Seasonal |
| Cascata delle Marmore | 165 m | Terni (TR) | Scheduled times |
| Cascata del Toce | 143 m | VCO (Piedmont) | Seasonal, spring |
| Cascata di Lillaz | Multiple (100+ m) | Cogne, AO | May-July |
| Cascata di Mezzo (Stanghe) | 97 m | Lagundo (BZ) | May-August |
| Cascata del Varone | 87 m | Riva del Garda (TN) | All year |
The Cascata delle Marmore, 165 m of total height in three drops, the third-highest artificial waterfall in the world, isn't a natural phenomenon. It was built by the Romans in 271 BC by the consul Manius Curius Dentatus to divert Lake Velino (which flooded the Rieti Plain) into the Nera river below. It's therefore one of the oldest hydraulic structures in the world still in operation, 2,295 years of history.
Today the waters are regulated by ENEL for hydroelectric production. The waterfall "flows" only at the times set by the managing authority, outside these hours, it's a dry rock. The tourists who arrive off-schedule and don't find the water are the most common complaint on the review sites.
The Cascata del Serio, in the Val Seriana (BG), is the highest waterfall in Italy with its 315 m in three successive drops (140 m, 75 m, and 100 m respectively). The problem: it's regulated by a dam upstream (the Barbellino Dam) and flows freely only on 4 Sundays a year, the openings are set by ENEL and announced a few weeks in advance on the site of the Municipality of Valbondione.
The queue at the parking lot on the 4 opening Sundays is epic, thousands of people from the Bergamo and Milan plain invade Valbondione. The trail to the lower belvedere takes 2 hours round trip. If you go on one of the non-scheduled days, you'll see only a gray rock with filaments of water, visually uninteresting. It's absolutely worth planning the visit on one of the opening days.
The Cascata del Toce in Formazza (VCO, Piedmont), 143 m of free fall, is considered by many the most beautiful waterfall in Italy for its scenic context: the vertical drop in a mountain amphitheater above the Val Formazza. The best period: May-June, snowmelt. In summer, the flow reduces drastically (regulated by a dam). The access is from Formazza-Fondovalle (car mandatory), then 30 minutes on foot on a marked trail.
The Lillaz waterfalls are a series of drops of the Urtier stream in the Cogne Valley (AO), at the foot of the Gran Paradiso. Not a single waterfall but a cascade of cascades, several successive drops for over 100 m total, immersed in the larch woods. Accessible on foot from Lillaz (a hamlet of Cogne, free parking) in 20-30 minutes on an easy trail. Free, open all year, extraordinary in May-June when the snow melts.
The Cascate delle Stanghe (Gilfenklamm in German) in Lagundo (BZ), 5 km from Merano, are perhaps the most spectacular waterfalls for quality/accessibility ratio in Italy: a 1.5 km walkway route inside a gorge with 60-97 m waterfalls, completely equipped with wooden bridges and stairways. Ticket: €4 adults, €2 children. Period: April-November (closed in winter for ice). Irresistible in spring with the melted snow feeding maximum flows.
The Cascata del Varone, 87 m, is managed as a private tourist site in Riva del Garda (TN) and is the only large Italian waterfall open and spectacular in every season. The internal route crosses two tunnels in the rock with a view of the waterfall from close platforms (you get wet, a waterproof jacket recommended). €6 adults, €3 children. Open every day except Christmas. Reachable on foot from the center of Riva del Garda in 20 minutes.
The Cascata del Serio (Val Seriana, Bergamo) with 315 m in three drops is officially the highest waterfall in Italy, but it flows freely only on 4 Sundays a year. Among the waterfalls with permanent flow, the Cascata delle Marmore (165 m, Terni) is the highest, but it's artificially regulated. Among the natural waterfalls with seasonal flow but not regulated by humans, the Cascata del Toce (143 m, Formazza VCO) is probably the highest of the category.
The best period for the Alpine waterfalls is April-June (snowmelt, maximum flows) and after heavy rains. In summer (July-August), many Alpine waterfalls reduce significantly. The waterfalls of central Italy (Cascata delle Marmore) have fixed hours independent of the season. The waterfalls of Liguria and the Center are best in autumn after the September rains.
No large waterfalls in the immediate vicinity. From Venice: Cascata di Vallesinella (Madonna di Campiglio, TN) at 2h30 by car, magnificent. From Florence: Cascata dell'Acqua Cheta in the Casentino (Modigliana, FO) at 1h30, cited by Dante in the Divine Comedy (Inferno, XVI). From Milan: Cascata del Serio (1h30 by car to Valbondione) on the opening Sundays.
The equipped tourist routes (Stanghe, Varone, Marmore) are safe with adequate footwear. The main risk is slipping on wet rock, shoes with a non-slip sole are essential. The Alpine waterfalls without equipment (Serio, Toce, Lillaz) have marked trails but steep in stretches, not suitable for sneakers. Bathing in the pools at the foot of the waterfalls: always check the water temperature (often below 10°C) and the currents before going in.
The Rainbow Pool of the Cascata di Marta (Lazio), a small waterfall near the Via Francigena, has gained popularity on social media for the rainbow colors in the water. It isn't a famous site, it has no infrastructure, it has no road signs, it's just a 15 m waterfall on a stream of the Viterbo area with a pool at the base. It's beautiful. No one will ever sell it to you as a destination.
Photographing the Italian waterfalls requires a different approach from the traditional Alpine landscapes. The "silk" effect on the water (long exposure) you see in the professional photos is obtained with: a shutter speed of 1/4" to 2", ISO 100, an ND filter (from ND8 to ND64 depending on the light), a stable tripod. In full midday sun, without an ND, it isn't possible to reach such long exposures without overexposing. The best moments: dawn (soft light, no one around), late afternoon with clouds (diffused light, no ND filter needed), after rain (maximum flow, misty atmosphere, water vapor around the waterfall).
The Cascata del Doccione in San Benedetto in Alpe (FO), reachable by a 20-minute trail, has a pool at the base with crystalline water and a temperature of 12°C even in July, a perfect natural bathing spot for those who come to hike in the Casentino. Practically unknown to organized tourism.
Yes, several. The best-known: Cascata delle Ferriere (Amalfi, SA), a natural pool in a canyon with spring water at 15°C, reachable in 1h30 on foot from Amalfi; Cascata del Lavane (Greve in Chianti, FI), a natural pool in the Greve valley, little known; Cascata del Trogolo (Umbria, in the Monte Cucco Park), a 2h route, a pool for bathing; Cascata degli Ottavi (Monterotondo Marittimo, GR), natural pools in a geothermal area, warm sulfurous water. Always check if bathing is permitted (some pools are in protected areas where it's forbidden).
The Cascata delle Marmore (Terni) is 100 km from Rome (1h20 by car, or train to Terni + bus/taxi). It's the largest and most famous. Closer but less spectacular: Cascata di Castel Giuliano (Bracciano, RM, 40 km from Rome), Cascata di Monte Gelato (Mazzano Romano, RM, 40 km from Rome, the most photographed in Lazio, popular on weekends). The Monte Gelato waterfalls are reached by a 20-minute trail from the parking lot on the Rio Treja (€2 entry to the municipal park).
Liguria has a coastal profile that many know but a hinterland that almost no one visits, and in the Ligurian hinterland there are spectacular waterfalls less than an hour from the French Riviera and the Riviera di Levante. The Cascata della Val Pennavaire (Castelbianco, SV) in the Finalese Park: 45 m in a sandstone canyon, reachable with 1h30 on foot from Castelbianco. The Cascata di Pigna (Pigna, IM) in the Ligurian Alps Park: 30 m, easy access from the medieval village of Pigna (IM), 40 km from Sanremo. The Cascata di Pora (Val Bormida, SV): 60 m on travertine, a unique geological context.
The Cascata della Madonna del Sasso (Verbania, VCO) is probably the most photographed waterfall on Lake Maggiore, 90 m drop, visible from the other shore of the lake, reachable by the Monterosso trail (1h30 from Verbania, 450 m elevation gain). It has no tourist infrastructure, only a marked CAI trail. View from the water: the waterfall is visible from the ferries of the Verbania-Laveno line.
The backlight problem (sun behind the waterfall) is solved with: exposure bracketing (3-5 shots at different exposures, then HDR in post-processing); the use of fill flash to light the foreground in shadow; shooting in the golden hours (dawn/sunset) when the light is lateral and not direct; filtering with a polarizer (it reduces the reflections on the water and saturates the colors). The waterfall in full midday light is often the worst situation for photography, too much contrast. The clouds are your friends: a diffused cloud cover eliminates the hard shadows.
The Italian Alpine waterfalls in winter transform into ice sculptures, a phenomenon few tourists seek but that's worth a specific trip. The Cascata del Toce in Formazza, frozen in January-February, is a 143 m ice wall, the stage of international Eisklettern (ice climbing). The Ice Climbing World Championship of Corvara (BZ) takes place on artificial ice waterfalls every January. The Cascata di Lillaz in the Aosta Valley, partially frozen, is reachable with snowshoes and creates an extraordinary photographic landscape. Information: the Società degli Alpinisti Tridentini (SAT) and CAI Piemonte have guides specialized in winter access to the waterfalls.