This complex of caves and caverns is accessible even to the less experienced, and can be visited accompanied by professional guides. For this plunge into the heart of the earth you need footwear with rugged soles, long pants, a sweatshirt, protective gloves and ... a pinch of courage.

The vertical spectacle that meets your eyes is unforgettable: among stalactites and stalagmites like stone giants and chambers illuminated by dim glimmers of light, you will feel like a real explorer.

A plunge of 165 meters

The journey to discover the “belly” of the Marmore Falls begins at Marmore's Campacci Park, about 10 kilometers from Terni, near the village of Marmore. You are 377 meters above sea level, on the cliff of the waterfall, to the right of the Velino River and at the foot of Mount Mazzelvetta, which rises to 641 meters. From here, along with the waterfall, the view encompasses the Nera River and its river park.

The rampart on which you rest your feet is a travertine ''mine'' formed by sediment from the Velino River, which descends to a depth of 165 meters. This type of friable rock has allowed the formation of more than 300 cavities over the millennia due to the intense circulation of water.

From this point, escorted by your guide, start descending inside the cliff with its unexpected meanders of which three are the most striking: the first is the Grotta Morta; the second is the Grotta delle Colonne; and the third, with a development of over 190 meters, is the Grotta della Condotta, named after the ancient conduit that in the past fed the hydroelectric power plant system.

If you are a novice, we recommend the guided tour of the Grotta della Condotta, an easy route that will take you to discover a surface water adduction channel. In all, the vertical walk takes about an hour.

Also suitable for you is the visit to Grotta Morta (Dead Grotto), which, despite its name, is the easiest chamber to walk through, with a round trip of about 45 minutes.

Expert cavers will not want to miss a complete visit to the Marmore underground system. The challenging route takes about three hours and also includes equipped sections that will allow you to feel part of a wonderful natural world that lives and breathes in Marmore Falls.

For everyone, it’s a wonderful experience. Step by step, you will be able to admire an incredible variety of concretions, from plant fossils to impressive stalactites, immersing yourself in a world of tunnels and galleries in chiaroscuro thanks to the light that penetrates from the ceiling at times, making the environments more pleasant and reassuring, even for the less daring.

Look around and listen: you are walking through a veritable geology textbook, with eras and past lives now crystallized as petrified watermarks.

Information

For guided visits, tel. +39 0744 67561 – +39 0744 362231 Monday-Friday 10.00-13.00 -15.00-17.00, Saturday 10.00-12.30

At other times of day, email infocascatadellemarmore@gmail.com