This beautiful photo is of one of Italy’s UNESCO destinations, known as the “Grand Canyon of the Alto Adige” or Gola del Rio delle Foglie-Bletterbach.
It is the largest canyon in Alto Adige and can be found at the base of the Corno Bianco.
It runs for about eight kilometres, and is 400 metres deep, where its formation reflects the environment that was around in this area about 250 million years ago.
A canyoning escursion here is truly a spectacle not to be missed.
A tour would start at the GeoParc visitor centre, following a path through the forest to the start of the Rio delle Foglie, and from there to the Butterloch canyon.
Continuing along the path, you come to a waterfall and the path from here will either take you to the “Gorz” basin of the Corno Bianco, or the Lahner summit from where you return to the visitor centre.
Various signs and information boards are posted along the path, including some guide as to the various rock layers and fossils of plants, timbers, crustacea etc.
Go prepared because this trek in the Italian mountains is of medium difficulty and will take about three hours.