Forra di Val Colvera
An easy hike on the outskirts of Maniago
About this place
The Colvera Gorge, near Maniago, is an easy route on a paved road along the course of the stream of the same name. From the road through the gorge, it is possible to gaze in awe at the high limestone walls and, more often than not, at climbers climbing. There are stretches where the gorge narrows and the walls are high and swaddling, and others where you walk under a rock canopy. In addition, along the course of the Colvera, one can admire the emerald pools that the stream has carved over the millennia.
- Location: Maniago (PN)
- Parking: lay-by at trailhead
- Duration: 1h/1h15
- Difficulty: easy
Why visit
01.
Easy and interesting
The Colvera Gorge is a very easy route and suitable for everyone as it runs on a paved road that has long since been decommissioned. The route takes just over an hour round trip, walking leisurely to enjoy the walk and the view of the gorge from the inside. The sound of water from the stream accompanies the visitor throughout the journey, and emerald-green crystal-clear pools are encountered.
02.
The Colvera stream
Over the millennia, the Colvera stream smoothed limestone rocks, and the phenomenon gave rise to the valley of the same name. The “buso del Colvera” was created precisely because of these erosion phenomena that formed the wide canyon. The strength of the stream, the continuous pressure of water and ice, and dry and rainy periods have allowed the formation of widenings, potholes, and rocky steps on the course of the river.
03.
The walls of the climbers
The Colvera Valley is a climber’s paradise, and the gorge is surrounded precisely by crags, or sheer-walled rocky shores on whose gray limestone structure the sport is practiced. As you walk through the gorge, you can admire the tall, continuous sheer walls, perfect for sport climbing, and you are almost certain to encounter sportsmen trying their hand at the rock band.
The disused road along the canyon
Within the Colvera gorge, a paved road has been built that runs along the course of the stream. Today, this road has been decommissioned and has become a vantage point for visiting the gorge and observing it from the inside. The road is convenient and allows for easy walking accompanied by the sound of water. The road skirts the smooth rock face of the gorge, on which climbers defy gravity and bare rock. Thus, it is common for visitors to walk around observing climbers ascending alongside them.
Other paths
Landris Trail
For a fuller day or for later trips, the Colvera Valley area offers varied and interesting hikes. The best known is the Landris Trail, with parking and departure from the gorge road. This nature trail allows you to visit the Landri scur, dark caverns formed by karst phenomena, and the Landri viert, vaults in the rock.
Adriano Bruna Botanical Trail
From the Pignatte bridge to the Landris runs the botanical trail dedicated to Adriano Bruna, a Maniago native who died in 2020 and was among the discoverers of Daphne blagayana, an orchid that grows only in the Tramontina Valley.
In addition to this, a visit to Maniago, the “city of the knife,” and the beautiful village of Poffabro and bike/e-bike tours in the Colvera Valley cannot be missed.
The emerald pools
Along the course of the Colvera stream are crystal-clear pools of water that have taken on an intense green color due to aquatic flora. The main pool has water-smoothed walls and an emerald green eye in the center. This is a giants’ pothole, which is a deep well-shaped depression caused by fluvial erosion in the rock.
Getting there
From Maniago follow the signs for Poffabro and Frisanco.
To continue there are 2 possibilities:
- Leave the car before the tunnel and walk along the disused Colvera Gorge road. Subsequently tot traverse the provincial road and bridge, rejoining the path to follow;
- Park after the second tunnel, turning immediately left at the exit before the bridge. This cuts off part of the route, which will be shorter.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The road is not accessible by car, as it is decommissioned. From the new provincial road,you can park at the beginning of the route and continue on foot.
The road is paved. The trail is beaten and passable by everyone, including children and wheelchairs.
In the sections of the crags equipped with rock gyms, which correspond to the first part of the trail in the gorge, it is almost impossible not to encounter climbers trying their hand at the smooth limestone walls, and you can stop and watch them calmly.
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