Cascata del Cenghen

Above the east shore of Lake Como, the Zerbo stream drops through a narrow rock cleft into a hollow of stone and spray. The waterfall lies above the hamlet of Linzanico, where the Zerbo stream drops into a stone basin.

Why it matters

The waterfall lies in a gorge the Zerbo stream cut into the lower slopes of the Grigna over millennia. The municipal tourism portal describes the drop as approximately fifty metres. Historically, the water powered mills and silk works in the area.

What to notice

The stream has excavated an amphitheatre of rock at the foot of the falls, polishing the walls over thousands of years. The village of Calech lies in the surrounding landscape, with a meadow and views toward Grigna Meridionale and a crest associated in local tradition with the painter Segantini. Terraces of olive and fruit trees overlook the lake.

Context and history

The waterfall is the work of the torrente Zerbo, a short stream that rises on the slopes below the Grignetta and descends towards the lake through the valley above Linzanico. The stream fed the Roggia canal, which powered mills in the Frazione Mulini and silk-twisting works on the lakeside road, now the Civico Museo Setificio Monti.