Valle dei Mulini (Valley of the Mills)
Follow Via delle Cartiere — the street of the paper mills — north from Piazza Duomo and the town thins out quickly. Within fifteen minutes the road gives way to a paved path, lemon trees press in on either side, and the sound you start to notice is the Canneto River running somewhere below. The valley narrows into a gorge shaded enough to grow Woodwardia radicans, a fern that has been here since before the last ice age.
What you walk through are the ruins of an industry that once put Amalfi on the desks of medieval Europe. The stone mills — some of them bridge-buildings spanning the gorge at its tightest points — still have their vaulted lower rooms, the channels where water wheels once turned, the tanks where pulp was beaten into sheets.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who've done the full Pontone route — roughly three hours from Scala down into Amalfi — tend to mention the same thing: the shift from ruin to forest happens faster than you expect, and the bats in the upper mills are easier to spot in the hour before dusk. Wear shoes with grip; the path earns its humidity.
The story behind Valle dei Mulini (Valley of the Mills)
Amalfi acquired papermaking knowledge from the Arab world sometime in the twelfth or thirteenth century, and the Canneto River — consistent, fast-moving — made the Valle dei Mulini a natural site for water-powered mills. By the late eighteenth century, sixteen mills were running in this gorge alone, with more along waterways at Minori and Maiori. The product was high enough quality to circulate through Mediterranean trade networks for centuries.
The industry peaked during the seventeenth century, then slid. Without the mechanization that was reshaping northern European paper production, the mills couldn't compete, and one by one they went quiet. By the 1940s every mill in the valley had been abandoned. The ruins you see today are largely what the gorge reclaimed.
Good to know
The trail entrance is free and open around the clock, about fifteen to twenty minutes on foot from Amalfi Cathedral along Via Pietro Capuano. Go in the morning or late afternoon — the gorge holds heat. After the walk, the Museo della Carta on Via delle Cartiere gives the industrial process a proper context.
Spring and early autumn are the most comfortable seasons — the gorge is cool and green, and the path is less likely to be rain-slicked. Summer visits are possible but the humidity in the valley is real; the shade is generous but so is the heat rising off the stone.
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What travellers say about Valle dei Mulini (Valley of the Mills)
Great hike Google did say it would take half an hour to walk took more like an hour maybe hour and half if you stop to take photos. Not a lot of shade for the first half so bring a hat! And lots of water though there are two water points along the way. Bring good walking shoes and swimsuit as there are places to have a dip.
Excellent hiking route! The first part is on a stone path with lots and lots of stairs. The deeper you get into the valley, you'll find yourself on a forest path, with old (slightly creepy) ruins of the abandoned paper mills, from which the valley got its name. You follow a river the whole way, so you just need to stay with the sight or sound of the stream to know you're on track. Would absolutely recommend this place for a hike if you're in Amalfi, and it's a good option to Valle delle Ferriere, which is the path that goes parallel to this one, just higher up with more stairs. Ps. When I hiked here at the beginning of July 2022, there was a part of the path that had been taken by a rocks rockslide. The road was blocked by orange barriers, but it was possible to get past them and traverse the rockslide area safely if one was careful.
Perfect hiking route! Starting from the centre of Amalfi and going up the stairs until the waterfall. It is very beautiful,there is also a bar around the top. You can also fill your water bottle half way from a natural fountain.
Such a unusual place, very tranquil and full of waterfalls. Some nice spots for picnic as well. As you walk down to Amalfi the scenery gets very postcard-y.
Great views, easy walk from downtown to view the valley and get some fresh air and homemade lemonades for you and your family.
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