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Mountain history in Vicenza
Walk inside a mountain split open by water · 90 metres deep
A rock cleft in Italy’s Little Dolomites, with metal stairways and a tale of forbidden love
A deep natural cleft cuts through the mountain above Recoaro Terme, where water has carved its way through Triassic limestone. Metal stairs and suspended walkways follow the gorge between rock walls, pools and small waterfalls. Local folklore tells a different story of its creation: a woodcutter fell in love with a water spirit, and the mountain split when he tried to stop her leaving.
Pottercomuneo, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Know before you go
The gorge and its ristoro are temporarily closed. Check for a reopening announcement before travelling.Telefono +39 340 3723231 Email info@montagnaspaccata.com
About
A waterfall walk inside Vicenza’s mountains
Montagna Spaccata is a narrow gorge near Recoaro Terme, in the province of Vicenza, northern Italy. Its rock cleft reaches a depth of 92 metres. The visitor route follows metal stairs and walkways between the walls, bringing you close to the water rather than offering a distant waterfall viewpoint. For travellers looking for unusual natural places in Italy, this is the appeal: an equipped passage into the mountain itself, in the Little Dolomites of Vicenza. Access is through the entrance at Ristoro Montagna Spaccata.
The water spirit and the woodcutter
The gorge also belongs to the folklore of the anguane, female water spirits associated with springs and streams. According to the local legend, Etele fell in love with Giordano, a young woodcutter. When she was called back to become queen of the anguane, he followed her towards a high cliff, desperate to keep her. A great crash shook the earth, the mountain split, and Etele disappeared into the cleft.
That story gives the place its particular character: the same falling water and enclosed rock that draw visitors today have long provided the setting for a tale of love and loss. Escursioni
Visiting status
The gorge and Ristoro Montagna Spaccata are temporarily closed. Check the operator’s official channels for a reopening announcement before planning a visit.
The site has previously offered illuminated evening visits and guided activities. These should be treated as past experiences until the operator announces their return.