Top 20 Natural Monuments around Badia Calavena

From Monte Gramolòn (1,814 m), you have a breathtaking 360° view of the Piccole Dolomiti, the Sentiero dei Grandi Alberi trail below, and, on the opposite side, the Lessinia mountains! The climb from Passo Ristele (to the north) is short but steep, and breathtaking! From Passo della Scagina (to the south), it's even steeper and more technical, EE, with frequent switchbacks that ascend a deep gully: very evocative. On this side, there are also the Angelo Viali and Ferrari via ferratas. The summit, with its cross, touches a spectacular but exposed ridgeline over the precipice, so be careful and avoid leaning out. The toponym derives from the dialect verb 'sgramolare', meaning to break into lumps: therefore, 'Gramolon' means the mountain that crumbles, due to subsidence and scree!

The Buso delle Anguane is a fascinating cave in the rock with a natural balcony overlooking the Chiampo Valley: a place of mystery and legends, in ancient folk tales it was the home of the anguane, evil creatures that attracted men with their comely appearance. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anguana The path to reach the cave is quite impervious and challenging, not very visible and not signposted along the asphalt road.

The Cascata dei Papalini suddenly appears in a small clearing in the heart of the forest, along the path: over time the falling water has formed a columnar deposit of gray limestone that descends like a drape and that partly acts as a springboard for the jet. But the peculiarity and spectacular nature of this waterfall is the possibility of seeing it even from behind the scenes: in fact, by climbing to the left on a short but steep path, you reach a natural roof of the rock from which you can observe the forest below through the curtain of water, without getting wet! The passage is not protected and is wet, so you need to pay particular attention. Like all torrential waterfalls, it is not always full and active: you need to look for the right period, perhaps after heavy rains, to visit it in all its thunderous splendor.

The "Vajo del Bruto" or Valle delle Buse di Sopra, more simply known as the Valle delle Sfingi, is located in the contrada del Brutto or malga Buse di Sotto in Camposilvano. It is a particular valley, about 800 meters long, which has large monoliths regularly spaced from each other and which recall the Egyptian sphinxes, from which it takes its name. These particular rocks are the result of the karst erosion of two different rock formations, the Rosso Ammonitico and the Oolite di San Vigilio. The Valle delle Sfingi is a magical place, full of stories and legends, such as the one linked to the particular mushroom-shaped rock, also known as "el sengio de l'orco". According to tradition, in fact, this mushroom was brought here by an ogre to allow the fade (magical creatures) to tie a rope end to it to hang out the laundry. Or like the "Fò della Pace", a large tree isolated from the others and so called because under its shade disputes were resolved and contracts were drawn up.

Point quite easy to reach unless it has rained recently, in which case I would advise caution. Very suggestive view from inside the "Buso"

Beautiful waterfall, it looks like a face with one eye, a big nose and teeth😊

Gramolon can be reached not only by paths but also by the short but intense Ferrari via ferrata.

Very suggestive place due to the presence of these rock formations, typical of Lessinia (they are also seen in other parts but here they are concentrated in a particular way, with the formations that stand out from the ground giving the idea of the Sphinxes)