It is not the most famous river, it is not the most adventurous valley, it is not the highest waterfall but the Menotre Valley in the heart of the Umbrian Apennines is a place of rare beauty.
We take you to the discovery of a territory of high hills which, although close to the town of Foligno, has always remained isolated from the Via Flaminia, the Umbrian Valley and the most famous centres.
The Menotre river rises in the municipality of Sellano, 800 meters above sea level, making its way up the mountain through rock and inaccessible places, until it "plunges" near the village of Pale into the valley below, forming beautiful waterfalls.
This area, which takes the name of Altolina Park, is one of the most suggestive areas of the Umbrian-Marches Apennines, scattered with pleasant places and villages that seem to have stopped in time.

In the valley of the Menotre waterfalls, the river meets other water veins and numerous springs: here is Rasiglia, a medieval village of rare beauty surrounded by water, for this reason known as "Borgo dei ruscelli".
Rasiglia, a place that after the earthquake seemed destined to become a ghost town, in recent years, thanks to the power of the web, has been literally stormed by Igers, photographers and curious on Sundays in search of the postcard shot.
Glimpses of ancient alleys crossed by streams, flowers, waterfalls, mills and wooden bridges: there are all the ingredients for photos by thousands of like!
The waters have always made the valley's fortune, since the first colonies of inhabitants.
The monks who settled in these places, developed many activities using the power of water mills for the processing of wool, cereals, oil and especially paper. In the Middle Ages the paper of Pale was famous all over Italy for its high quality: the first printing of Dante's Divine Comedy took place in Foligno in 1442 with the paper of the paper mills of Pale.

To protect this ancient "industrial pole", in the 14th century the castle that still today dominates the village of Pale was enlarged.
Built around the year one thousand and subsequently enlarged, it is now in a good state of conservation, due to frequent restoration works.
During the centuries, attracted by the beauty of the territory and the tranquillity of the valley, illustrious personalities such as Queen Cristina of Sweden and Isabella of Spain stayed there.

The most hidden treasure of the valley is the Church of Saint Mary Jacob, known as the Hermitage of Pale.
The myth about the foundation tells that Jacob Mary, the Mary who together with Magdalene found the Holy Sepulchre empty, took refuge in penance in the cave of Sasso di Pale, leaving her mark here.
From here the cult of the veneration of Saint Mary Jacob spread in the valley.
The church dates back to 1200 even if the presence of oriental monks in the rocky part of the hermitage, makes its origin go back to much more ancient times.
The church, carved entirely in the rock, is an impervious and isolated place surrounded by a mystical aura that transports the visitor to distant times.
The serenity of the environment, the majesty of the surrounding nature, make the Menotre Valley a place not only to visit but above all to live.
Trekking, canyoning, horse riding, quad

Dreavel proposal to discover Menotre Valley:

Taste, Relax and outdoor
Trekking and relax
Horse riding in the valley
Quad