- Active & Green
The Val Taleggio Gorge
The rock walls close in, the sun almost disappears, the stream rushes beneath the road: the Orrido is the gateway to Val Taleggio, a spectacular gorge carved over the centuries by the Enna stream.
A three-kilometre gorge
Also called the Orrido dei Serrati or Orrido di San Giovanni Bianco, it stretches for about three kilometres between Monte Cancervo and Monte Sornadello, from the hamlet of Roncaglia in San Giovanni Bianco to Sottochiesa. Its walls are made of geologically young dolomite. The road that crosses it today was opened between 1902 and 1910, first by the Società Gas ed Elettricità di Lecco and then by the Società Orobia.
Best experienced on foot
Walking through it is a truly evocative experience: numerous waterfalls tumble down the gorge and in winter turn into walls of ice, a magnet for ice climbers. The microclimate, where the sun's rays rarely reach, also makes the Orrido particularly interesting from a naturalistic point of view.
Good to know
- The Orrido is crossed by provincial road SP25 San Giovanni Bianco–Val Bordesigli, open to all vehicles; since 2005 some tunnels have made the passage safer.
- The walls are subject to landslides: check road conditions before setting off.
- Along the road you can see a few small power stations.
Keep discovering the valley
Beyond the Orrido, in Sottochiesa, begin The Fairy Tale Trail and The villages of Sottochiesa and Pizzino. To discover where the stream that carved the gorge is born, follow The Springs of the Enna.
