- Active & Green
- Lifestyle
Under the ground, to discover the caves of Lombardy
Caves, underground complexes and cavities: we explore 9 underground destinations, a stone's throw from the Lombardian cities.
From the Bus of Tacoi of Gromo, in Val Seriana, to Europa, in Valle Imagna, to the Bear's Cave near Como and more ... The caves in Lombardy offer precious treasures. Some are less accessible and more demanding, others can be visited with children and they will love it. You will experience the great thrill of discovering an unknown and wonderful world, right below you.
Our planet, in its depths, hides the secrets of nature: rocks, ponds, wells, limestone formations such as stalactites and stalagmites. Do you know the difference? The former, carved from water, descend from the vault of the cave, the latter develop by climbing upwards from the ground. Plunging into the heart of the earth, in search of precious treasures, always reserves great emotions. And Lombardy has a decidedly rich treasure chest!
Speleological tourism
If you like direct contact with nature and you also love less conventional destinations, caving tourism is for you: you are the ideal visitor to the caves. What do you need? First of all, remember that the sun's rays do not reach there, so bring a sweater, a light down jacket and comfortable or trekking shoes, depending on the difficulties you will have to face along the way. Do not forget to book in advance: these sites are not always open, so check the times and level of experience required to access them. To help you, we have selected the 10 most beautiful Lombard caves, which are located in the surroundings of Bergamo, Brescia, Varese and Como.
Deep in the Bergamo valleys
In Val Seriana, in the territory of Gromo (Bergamo) there is one of the most beautiful Lombardian karst caves. The Büs di Tàcoi (the Buco dei Tacoi, in dialect the choughs, which nest in the entrance cave) can be accessed from Monte Redondo, at 1500 meters above sea level, after an hour's walk on a path that climbs from Spiazzi. The cave houses fireplaces, stalactites and stalagmites, galleries, wells, colored siphons that cover walls, ceilings, floors and the magnificent "Green Lake". The Büs is reserved for the most prepared hikers: you go down for several hundred meters and you need excellent physical preparation, climbing ability and above all no vertigo! (more info)
Within everyone's reach and also suitable for a trip with the little ones, remaining in the Bergamo area, we find the Caves of the Dream of San Pellegrino Terme (www.orobietourism.com), equipped for visits with aerial trails and an illuminated gallery. Of tectonic origin, they consist of three parallel wells, set on a split in the rock, formed 60 million years ago. What to see? Karst sculptures and concretions of a thousand colors and shapes, stalactites and stalagmites, wonderful views.
Not to be missed, the Caves of Wonders of Zogno, true karst jewels: their geological formation, the Zù limestone, is rich in corals. The splendid complex has two entrances: the upper "Büs de la Marta" in Ravagnì, allows the descent along the vertical wells; the lower, more comfortable one, crosses a tunnel dug into the rock slightly uphill, which reaches the innermost cave. Attention to the rather restricted calendar for visits, to be consulted online. (www.grottedellemeraviglie.com)
In Val Brembana we also find the Buca di Costa Cavallina and the Buca di Andrea, above Zogno, known for the finds of human burials and the Büs di tri 'fradèi, above Zenone, where seven bear skeletons of the caves were found. In Valle Imagna, the Grotta Europa, in Bedulita, interesting from a geo-morphological point of view, hides cannulas, drapes, columns and stalagmites, huge flows that come down from the ceiling, a perennial waterfall and a small fossil lake. A tip: visit it guided by the Speleological Group of the Imagna Valley or by the Speleo Club Orobico. (www.gsvi.it/index.htm)
The secrets of the Brescia bandit
We move to Brescia, in the municipality of Valvestino, to visit the Cùel Zanzanù, also known as Covolo del Martelletto, because it is located right at the base of the Corna del Martelletto, in the valley of the Droanello torrent. You can get there from the Path of Zanzanù, nicknamed after the bandit of 1600 Giovanni Beatrice who escaped and found refuge in the cave. The Cùel has ravines on two levels and a vault 15 meters high that forms an arch of 50. At the base, plains and dry stone walls created by shepherds over the centuries, to protect livestock.
With the little ones, destination lake
Not far from Varese, in Comerio, is the Remeron Cave:
(www.grottaremeron.com) which reopens in August 2020 for guided tours starting from the former Marisa Rossi Heliotherapy Colony in Barasso. Walk for about 50 minutes and you will immerse yourself in the treasures of the cave. For young children, to be carried with backpack supports, there is a dedicated educational path. What will you see? In the heart of the earth up to 50 meters deep, while the external light disappears, you can admire, illuminated by man: natural concretions, stalactites in formation and wells, two unexplored fireplaces where Holy Mass is celebrated every year. An ad hoc route is dedicated to speleologists. For everyone, on the other hand, when going out, is the possibility of having lunch or a stop in the Rossi Colony.
In Como, in the seven Caves of Rescia - cavities originated over the years from water inside travertine flows - you can closely observe the growth states of a cave: from the active phase to the fossil. The effect is spectacular and the educational path that tells, in 14 panels, history, geological formation and types of concretions present, makes the place suitable for visits with children. And if the underground panorama made up of stalactites, stalagmites, columns, pisolites (cave pearls), flows and eccentrics similar to corals were not enough, without moving, you can also admire the Santa Giulia ravine and its 70-meter waterfall. (https://grottedirescia.it)
