Visit Orrido di Bellano

A visit to the Orrido di Bellano, on the eastern shore of Lake Como, is almost a must for anyone. It is a spectacular natural gorge created over millennia by the river coming from Valsassina. 
A gorge that was created 15 million years ago. The waters of the rushing torrent have carved an ever narrower and deeper furrow, modelling ravines and suggestive caverns. An elevated walkway allows visitors to admire the beauty of a truly unique place, poised between nature and legend.

The legend of the Orrido di Bellano

The gorge owes its name to the Bellano poet Sigismondo Boldoni, who was fascinated by this spectral landscape. Legend has it that the body of the valiant warrior Taino, buried with his treasure, was buried here.
The entrance to the Orrido is guarded by a four-storey high hexagonal tower, called Cà del Diavol, because of a devil that seems to be depicted on its side. Legend has it that the tower hosted parties with satanic rituals. 
In reality, what appears to be a devil with horns and pitchfork turns out to be the figure of Neptune with crown and trident. It is likely to have been depicted to emphasise the town's close link with the life-giving power of water. Bellano has always been linked to the Pioverna river. For centuries, the force of its waters ensured the necessary power to move the machines in the many factories in the area, guaranteeing work and prosperity for the people of Bellano. 
The waters of the river have been exploited by the ironworks, spinning mills and cotton mills and then by the more recent hydroelectric power station.

Orrido di Bellano: a real Canyon on Lake Como

The Orrido is a narrow canyon that can be walked thanks to a system of elevated footbridges attached to the walls and sheer above the water, recently lengthened to allow access to the highest waterfall.
The light reflected from the water, the very narrow spaces and the rocks make the environment truly evocative. Stendhal, during his trip to Italy, said that nothing in the universe can compare to the charm of these scorching summer days spent on this lake, while Johann Jakob Wetzel described it as a theatre of beauty and frights, from which a noise similar to that of thunder can be heard coming out.

Flight Simulator

A flight simulator is available inside the Casa del Diavolo. Once you are seated, fasten your seatbelt and put on your 3D visor, you set off on a fascinating journey over the skies of Bellano and the gorge.

Information to visit Orrido di Bellano:

ORRIDO DI BELLANO WEBSITE