Lake Smeraldo

At Fondo, here in the upper Val di Non, there is a little lake that takes its name from a precious stone: Lake Smeraldo, the emerald lake. It is a man-made lake 1,000 metres above sea level. I often go there to relax in the shade of the trees and to rest, enjoying the vivid green waters of the lake.

My children love Lake Smeraldo, do you know why? Because you can drive there or take the fascinating Burrone path through the gorge.

It links the centre of Fondo to the lake and as you walk along it, you pass through a spectacular canyon carved out by the Rio Sass stream. This route is free of charge, anyone can walk it and when I do it with my children they are always looking around, like explorers, because if you look carefully you can find concretions, giant potholes and even fossils embedded in the rock.

When you get to the lake, you can go for a short walk, sit on one of the benches to chat with friends, eat in one of the nearby restaurants or even go fishing!