Hike through the Rio delle Foglie Gorge

In October, enjoying wonderful sunshine, we set off by car in the afternoon from Bolzano to Aldino. Our destination is South Tyrol's "canyon", the Rio delle Foglie gorge (Bletterbachschlucht). At the car park of the Geoparc Visitor Centre in Aldino, we follow the signs "Bletterbach". A wooden board at the beginning of the so-called "Geo Trail" informs us that the gorge is protected as a natural monument.

The path no. 3 then leads us through a forest slightly downhill into the gorge. Over steps and bridges we reach the so-called "Taubenleck" - this is also where the path through the canyon starts, always upstream. Excited about the very high rocks that surround us, we hike on over large stones and small rivulets on the otherwise dried-out river bed. Here we also find the first information boards that tell us about the different types of rocks, animals and fossils. After about 30 minutes we reach a high waterfall, the "Butterloch". At this point we have to hike a little way back again to get out of the riverbed via the Jagersteig trail.

After a short break, the path now leads us through the forest and finally we reach the Lahner Alm. The beautiful alpine meadow invites us to sit down for a moment and enjoy the warming rays of the sun. No sooner said than done! Now we have almost reached our starting point again. Via the forest nature trail, we start towards the car park of the Geoparc. The path leads almost flat through the forest back to our car. By the way: The car park at the Geoparc is chargeable, there are no other parking facilities. The Geoparc Visitor Centre is also located directly at the car park. If you wish, you can also start the hike from the village centre of Radegno (via the long-distance hiking trail E5).

Author: ED