The Stanghe waterfalls, a wonder of water and marble

Once upon a time, there was a little stream that quietly flowed, for thousands of years, on a bed of marble, penetrating in the rocks and carving deep underground tunnels.

At one point, it became a bubbly creek that incessantly dived into sculpted, smooth crevices. And finally, it turned into impetuous water that crashes down the white marble walls of the Stanghe waterfalls. This, in a nutshell, is the millenary story of the rio Racines, in the Isarco Valley near Vipiteno.

The waterfalls are impressive. A one-hour excursion takes you up some two hundred meters, across about ten piers that look out to the superb gorge, offering unparalleled views.

Launched and opened to the public after building a set of stairs and boardwalks in the late 1800s, the waterfalls were named after “Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Klamm” – Habsburg emperor Franz Joseph. To this day, they continue to dive into the void, creating a wonderful masterpiece of nature.

Photos via: ©Andrea Marocco, ©Lanfranco Luciani, ©Mattia Notari


The Stanghe waterfalls, a wonder of water and marble


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