A RUSH OF ALPINE WATERS

The Isel forms the three valleys of Umbal, Virgen and Isel, gushes out from the ice of the Venedigergruppe and runs into the Drava at Lienz. In the upper part of the river are the famous Umbal waterfalls; the Isel is the second most important river in the East Tyrol after the Drava .

There are also plenty of opportunities to hear the rush of the water and feel it splashing on your face in the province of Belluno. In  Sappada [4] you can see the Orrido di Acquatona ravine, where the Piave River takes a 50m + leap and forms superb waterfalls and splendid inlets in the rocks, and the  waterfalls in the Mulbach neighbourhood, which are floodlit in summer until 11 p.m.  In Cortina d’Ampezzo [5] the Fanes Brook creates the striking Cascate di Fanes falls, which can be reached by going along a fine, fairly simple via ferrata equipped route which enters into the gully, passing right behind the waterfalls, between the rocks and the water.  In the Valbelluna, on the right bank of the Piave River,  you can see a range of torrents which have shaped the landscape. At Trichiana [6], you will find a path which allows you to visit the Brent de l’Art, a fairly deep ravine characterized by the stunning striped effect formed by layers of red and white marble limestone interspersed with layers of red and grey-greenish clay.

On the right bank of the Piave, you can admire the Cascate della Soffia waterfall and the crystal-clear Cadini del Brenton potholes, both at the head of Mis Lake [7] in the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park: the Soffia is a striking, fast-moving waterfall which emerges from the rocks and dashes down into the calm waters of the lake, while the Cadini are a series of 15 natural pools shaped by the waters of the Brenton Torrent, which leap nimbly downwards in a spectacular display of ever-changing colours. [T.S.]