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Orrido di Nesso

Triangolo Lariano

The Orrido di Nesso is a gorge carved by the meeting of the Tuf and Nosè torrents, which cuts the village of Nesso in two and throws itself into the Lario in a waterfall. It is admired from piazza del Castello, from above, or by going down a stair between the houses to the Ponte della Civera, on the lakeshore. Access is free.

History

The two torrents come down from the valleys of Tuf and Nosè and, joined, plunge between narrow, deep rocks for a drop of about 200 metres from the start of the waterfall to the lake water (Comune di Nesso, Wikipedia, in-Lombardia). From the 14th century the force of the water drove mills, paper mills, spinning works, oil presses, forges and presses, and two silk factories: for Nesso it was vital for manufacturing development. The gorge also served as a refuge for smugglers.

The fissure drew the attention of Leonardo da Vinci, who mentions it in the Codex Atlanticus: «Nesso, land where a river falls with great force, through a very great fissure in the mountain». In the 18th and 19th centuries, when the lake drew artists and travellers, the Orrido was portrayed by Federico and Carolina Lose in celebrated aquatints, and Giovanni Battista Bazzoni set there in 1829 the novel Il falco della rupe o la guerra di Musso. Nostrofiglio and a hiking blog also recall that in 1925 Alfred Hitchcock chose Nesso for a sequence of The Pleasure Garden, his first film.

What to see

The Ponte della Civera is a single stone arch that joins the hamlets of Coatesa and Riva del Castello. The bridge’s age is given in different ways: Wikipedia says it is of Roman origin, the Comune di Nesso medieval, a hiking blog Romanesque, in-Lombardia of ancient origin. From here you see, on one side the waterfall, on the other the ochre and pink houses plunging into the water, with boats moored. After spring rains the spray reaches the bridge.

The descent is a cobbled stair, narrow between the house walls, with arches and underpasses, and the number of steps changes from one source to another: more than 270 for Wikipedia, between 270 and 340 for Viaggiando Italia, about 300 for Follow the Green Rabbit, more than 300 for in-Lombardia, about 340 for Nostrofiglio. Past the bridge, according to in-Lombardia, a passage in the rock leads towards the waterfall. From the belvedere of piazza del Castello the whole scene is in view: gorge, bridge, houses.

The village is a mosaic of hamlets: Borgovecchio, the oldest nucleus; Coatesa; Lissogno, along the Tuf, with the ruins of mills, paper mills and silk works; Castello, high up, where the ruins of the 14th-century castle of San Lorenzo stand. The village also has two churches: Santi Pietro e Paolo, of medieval foundation (1095 for Nostrofiglio) and later Baroquised, and San Lorenzo. The Orrido can also be seen from the water, by boat, rowing boat or canoe (for navigation in 2026 see the rules below); Viaggiando Italia advises against going alone, given the sudden nature of the place. For a comparison with a nearby gorge there is the Orrido di Bellano.

Getting there

Nesso lies on the Como branch, about 16 kilometres from the city along the road to Bellagio. Those coming by car park at the entrance of the built-up area, or near the square if they find room. By public transport one takes the train to Como and then a regular bus, the C30 for Bellagio or the C32 for the Piano del Tivano, both of which stop at Nesso (Nostrofiglio); some boat runs call at the village. From Nesso routes also start to the Piano del Tivano and Monte Palanzone; see also Piani di Nesso.

Practical information

Free access at no charge (Comune di Nesso, via Coatesa); the municipality’s telephone is 031 910106.
Shoes with good grip are needed: the steps are cobbled and the climb back is tiring; with children it is best to hold their hands.
2026 rules: the mayor’s ordinance no. 10 of 7 July forbids diving, jumping and throwing things into the water from the Ponte della Civera, the Riva di Castello bridge and nearby structures, and climbing or lingering on parapets in a dangerous way; the fine runs from 25 to 500 euros, 50 if paid early. The text gives three different end dates: 15 September in the title (the date repeated by the municipality’s site and by Nostrofiglio), 20 September in a recital and 1 October in the closing clause, which is also the date QuiComo gave in July. On any reading the ordinance has expired, and as of 5 October 2026 we found no extension; the mayor told La Provincia di Como (24 August) that from next year access will have to be limited. On navigation the sources do not agree: Nostrofiglio writes that the stretch of lake in front of the Orrido is closed, but the text of the municipal ordinance does not say so, and La Provincia mentions a Basin Authority ordinance extending the off-limits area to 100 metres around the bridge; we have not read that measure, so anyone going by boat or canoe should ask the municipality (031 910106) or the Autorità di Bacino del Lario.
Best period: from late spring to summer, when the waterfall is most vigorous; at sunset the bridge is very evocative (Viaggiando Italia).

Sources

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