Cascate Nardis

A 130-meter drop in the heart of the Alps

The Nardis Waterfalls plunge over 130 meters down a dark rock face, with the main drop measuring approximately 95 meters. The water comes from the Vedretta del Nardis glacier on the eastern face of Presanella — at 3,558 meters, the highest peak in Trentino.

The "Versailles of Northern Italy"

That is how Val Genova was described in the 19th century for the extraordinary richness of its waters. The Nardis are its crown jewel: visible directly from the road, they create a natural amphitheatre where the roar of water and fine mist envelop the visitor in a magical atmosphere.

A different face for every season

• Spring (April-May) — The thaw brings maximum flow. The water descends as a single, compact and powerful jet.
• Summer — The flow splits into multiple streams along the rock, taking on a silty grey color from glacial sediments.
• Winter — The falls transform into a majestic ice sculpture, a vertical wall of frozen stalactites that attracts ice climbers from all over Europe.

Where ice climbing was born

In January 1977, legendary Trentino mountaineers Cesare Maestri and Ezio Alimonta climbed the frozen Nardis wall in front of RAI television cameras. The feat had worldwide resonance and helped establish ice climbing as a modern sporting discipline. As early as 1958, Maestri had been the first person to climb a frozen waterfall in the Alps.

The legend of Princess Presanella

Legend has it that Princess Presanella, heartbroken that she could not marry the young Prince Vermilion, wept tears so copious they created the stream feeding the waterfalls. In the end, both were turned to stone to remain close for eternity — she became the great mountain, he the pass bearing his name.

How to get there

• By car — Parking directly opposite the falls, across the bridge over the Sarca river.
• Summer shuttle — June to August, daily service Pinzolo–Ponte Verde (just 500 meters from the falls).
• On foot — The Waterfall Trail (path B07) starts from the Antica Vetreria in Carisolo and reaches the Nardis in just 10 minutes, then continues toward the Casöl and Lares waterfalls.