The Sibillini lake and the Lame Rosse
In the heart of the Monti Sibillini National Park, at about 640 metres, Lake Fiastra is an artificial lake created in the 1950s by a dam on the Fiastrone river for the production of hydroelectric power, but it looks completely natural: an elongated basin of incredibly turquoise and emerald water, surrounded by wooded mountains and meadows, with small pebble beaches, where in summer you can swim, sunbathe, canoe and paddle, in water that is cool and clean. The lake has become one of the most popular summer destinations in the Marche hinterland, a sort of "mountain sea", with paths that run along its shores.
From the lake, a beautiful hike of about an hour and a half leads, through woods and along the gorge of the Fiastrone, to one of the most surprising natural sights in central Italy: the Lame Rosse, the "Red Blades", a series of spectacular pinnacles and towers of red and orange earth, gravel and clay, eroded by rain and wind into fantastic shapes, which rise among the green woods like a small Cappadocia or a canyon of the American West. They are particularly beautiful in the warm light of late afternoon. Another trail leads into the Gola del Fiastrone, a deep, narrow gorge with waterfalls and pools, and to the hermitage of the Grotta dei Frati, a cave once inhabited by hermits. The area is part of the national park, with chamois, wolves and golden eagles.
Tip: start the hike to the Lame Rosse early in summer, as the path is exposed to the sun; bring water and good shoes.
Where it is
More things to see in Marche
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