Gargantas da Breggia

A trip to the park of the Breggia gorges becomes a real time travel. In this region of the Mendrisiotto, along the Breggia River, you will find an extraordinary geological structure: due to erosion by the water, a rock formation was discovered covering the period between the Jurassic and the Tertiary, dating back to 80 million years! In the rock you will find evidence of the ancient seas: fossils, remains of underwater muds and signs of climatic changes, which took place in eras even before the appearance of man on earth.

It is the first Swiss GeoPark, located between the municipalities of Balerna, Castel San Pietro, Morbio Inferiore and Morbio Superiore, rich in finds - natural or man-made - of great interest and curiosity even for the layman. A wonderful excursion, also thanks to the beauty of the landscape.

The old mill of Ghitello (1606), behind the parking lot of the Breggia center of Balerna, is one of the starting points; You first walk along the small lake, then follow the river and pass some factory buildings, including the cement factory and the beer brewery. After crossing the Breggia, you climb up the Magna valley and come to Colle San Pietro, where you can find the remains of the medieval castle, as well as the Chiesa Rossa (red church), which dates back to the 14th century and is home to wonderful Frescoes are located.

Descending along the marked path, you cross the Punt da Canaa (canal bridge). You can look at some rock layers that are among the oldest in the park (limestone pebbles dating back 190 million years). Crossing a recently built bridge, you cross a narrow, deep gorge and continue along the right bank, always passing rock layers and through some special biotopes, to finally return to the Ghitello Mill, where you can see the most recent deposits (Tertiary and Quaternary).

The natural park of the Gole della Breggia extends along the river "Breggia" for about 1.5 km; it touches the villages of Balerna, Castel San Pietro, Morbio Inferiore and Morbio Superiore.
The natural landscape is exceptionally interesting, especially for its geological and paleontological patrimony: the rocks that appear on the surface are hundreds of millions of years old.
Along this part of the river the natural section created by the excavation of the water has brought to light a geology profile that is almost continuous between the Jurassic and the Tertiary periods (more than 80 million years).