Orrido di Bellano, Walkways over the Gorge

The Pioverna stream comes down from the Valsassina and, just before reaching the lake at Bellano, has forced its way through a narrow, deep gorge. The visit is made along walkways anchored to the rock walls, hanging over the water, to the great waterfall at the end. It takes about 45 minutes, is easy and has a great deal of water noise.

What you see and why it matters

The Orrido is a gorge that water began to carve out about a million and a half years ago, according to the region's tourism website: the walls close over your head, form basins and whirlpools and let light in from above in strips. The walkways were extended recently and now reach the great waterfall upstream, which is the end of the route.

Above the gorge, on a rock, is the Ca' del Diavol, a restored three-storey tower reached by a staircase projecting over the ravine. Inside there is a multimedia exhibition on the history of Bellano, the legend of the Pesa Vegia and a virtual reality trip. It has its own ticket, sold together with that of the Orrido.

Opening hours

From 2 to 29 November 2026 it opens Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 14:00 to 17:00, and Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 to 17:00. Last entry is 20 minutes before closing. In the summer months the hours extend: in July and August it opens until 22:00. For December and the rest of winter check the calendar on Bellano's tourism website.

Tickets and prices

• Adults: €8.
• Ages 6 to 14: €5.
• With a train or lake boat ticket: €5. Show it at the ticket office.

It is bought at the entrance ticket office or through the online sale for the Orrido and the Ca' del Diavol, linked from Bellano's tourism website.

Getting there

The entrance is at Piazza San Giorgio, in the centre of Bellano, a few minutes' walk from the quay and the station. The most convenient way is to arrive without a car:

• By train: Bellano has a station on the Milan – Lecco – Colico – Tirano line, a short journey from Varenna.
• By boat: Navigazione Laghi boats stop at Bellano, north of Varenna.
• On foot: the Sentiero del Viandante reaches Bellano from Varenna along the hillside and crosses the gorge by a bridge.

With the day's train or boat ticket, moreover, the entry is cheaper.

With children, dogs and accessibility

It is a visit that works very well with children: short, with a sense of adventure and no effort. But there are stairs and narrow passages, so pushchairs and wheelchairs are not allowed; with babies, a baby carrier. Dogs of any size can enter the Orrido, but not the Ca' del Diavol.

The walkways are wet almost all the time because of humidity and spray: shoes with a good sole and something warm, because inside the gorge it is cool even in summer.

When to go

The flow rules. After days of rain or in spring, with the Valsassina thaw, the waterfall comes down strongly and the visit is more impressive. In high August there is less water but the gorge is the coolest spot on the shore. Go first thing or late in the afternoon to avoid the groups.

Combine it on the same day with the boat between Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio: from Varenna to Bellano there is a short hop by train or boat.