In the Italian region South Tyrol I make a beautiful 4 hour hike to the spectacular Barbian Wasserfälle, also known as the Cascate di Barbiano. A nice trip through the forest and with views of the Dolomites. Hiking to the waterfalls of Barbiano and Tre Chiese in South Tyrol.
A spectacle of nature
We start the hike at a parking lot just above Barbiano. From here we follow the Wasserfallweg, the path to the Unterer Wasserfall (the first waterfall). The first meters we are surrounded by fields of flowers on the mountain meadows. The snowy peaks of the Dolomites lie in the background. Then we see the waterfalls of Barbiano. Spectacular! At this point the river Rio Gander / Ganderbach collapses over different rock walls, a total of 200 meters down into the depth. From where we are now we only see the 85 meter high lower waterfall, but it is still impressive.
We look up through the mist, but we still cannot see the upper waterfall. We decide to walk further and the last part steeply uphill is challenging. The stones and tree roots cause us to climb. It seems like the route is not very technical, but you make quite a few altitude meters.
We walk along a narrow path to the upper part of the waterfall. The view is worth it. On a panorama platform we sit down on a bench. From here you look out over the valley with the famous peaks of the Dolomites in the distance and the sound of the waterfall in the background. The best spot for a short pause.
The three churches of Tre Chiese
From here on the path runs through the woods. First on the 27 path to Briol and then we climb up the 34 path towards the hamlet of Trechiese. If you translate this literally it means ’three churches’, and I immediately see why. Three Gothic chapels are fused together into one small but photogenic church. It is built on the site of a pre-Roman sanctuary.
Right next to the church is a gasthof. There is no one to be seen, but we knock on the door and ask if it is already open. “From March already”, someone is grumbling. Almost immediately two large glasses of white beer are put down in front of us. We take them outside. With beer and with a wide view this is a place we can stay fora while.
The leaning tower of Barbiano
After this we follow the 11b and 11a to Barbiano. In Barbiano, I immediately notice the leaning tower of the parish church of Barbiano. As if it is about to fall over. It is said that he is leaning over even more than the Campanile of Pisa.
From here it is only a few hundred meters to the parking lot. The hike to the waterfalls of Barbiano is recommended. Not only because of the waterfalls themselves, but also the walk through the forest and the beautiful views on the Dolomites.
The hike to the waterfalls of Barbiano and to Tre Chiese is a round trip of slightly less than 12 kilometers and 760 meters of altitude. You can park the car in Barbiano or on the parking lot just above the village, a bit closer towards the waterfalls. We stayed at the Ölackererhof in Novacella / Neustift, near Bressanone / Brixen.
