In the town of Castel San Vincenzo, on the slopes of the Mainarde Mountains and in the heart of the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise, are the spectacular Volturno waterfalls.. In this area the Volturno river, the longest in southern Italy, is born, which gives life to a suggestive landscape made of clear waters, crackling jumps between the rocks and lush mountain vegetation.
The landscape is dominated by beech, oak and a rich wildlife including deer, wild boars and foxes.. A natural environment perfect for lovers of trekking and photography, easily reachable on foot from the Cartiera resort (about 5-10 minutes walk), following a well signposted path but at times steep. The entrance to the route costs 2 euros and leads, with a short walk in loop, directly to the waterfalls. During the descent you will also cross a small park equipped with children’s games and a bar.
The best view point is reached by entering, cautiously, in the river bed. In the summer months the water is low, allowing you to walk to a privileged point from which to admire the spectacle of the waterfalls.. It is recommended to wear trekking and river shoes, to move safely on slippery seabeds.
In addition to natural beauty, the site retains traces of an important productive past.. Starting from the 8th century, the monks of the Abbey of San Vincenzo al Volturno gave birth to a flourishing economic system based on mills and water factories, whose ruins remain today. Among them a wool mill, a paper mill and a marble mill,attributable to the Martino family, who developed the management until the nineteenth century. However, the expansion came to a halt with the construction of the Rocchetta al Volturno hydroelectric power plant, inaugurated in 1904, which involved diverting the river and closing down local factories.
The Volturno waterfalls can be visited all year round, except for bad weather or winter closures of the trail. They represent a natural and historical jewel of Molise, where you can immerse yourself in uncontaminated nature and rediscover fragments of industrial history that have disappeared.