Rio Scaleres Gorge Walk (Klamm Schalders)
A short drive or bus ride above Bressanone, the Rio Scaleres carves a dramatic limestone gorge through the forest above the hamlet of Schalders. The signed circular trail (about 90 minutes) follows wooden walkways bolted to the cliff face above a roaring torrent — it's the kind of raw, dripping, mossy landscape that makes you forget there's a city ten minutes below.
The Trail
The walk begins at the car park near Schalders village (1,130 m) and immediately enters the gorge on a series of iron-railed wooden catwalks suspended above the Rio Scaleres stream.
The highlight is a 25-metre waterfall about 40 minutes in — stand on the viewing platform and feel the spray; in spring snowmelt the noise is extraordinary and the water turns a glacial milky-green.
Flora and Fauna
The gorge's permanently damp microclimate supports hart's-tongue ferns, mosses and liverworts that cover every surface in a thick green velvet — macro photographers go wild here.
Dippers (Cinclus cinclus) — small dark birds that walk underwater along stream beds — are resident year-round and almost guaranteed to be spotted from the lower walkways.
Practical Information
The trail is open May to October; it closes in winter due to ice on the walkways. Wear shoes with grip — the wooden boards are permanently damp.
After the walk, the Gasthof Schalders at the trailhead serves cold Forst beer and plates of local Speck and cheese; sit on the terrace for views back down to the Bressanone valley.
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