Belvedere - Natisone Gorge

The river section in question stretches from Ponte San Quirino through the historic center of Cividale del Friuli to the countryside of Premariacco and Firmano. It is characterized by the spectacular gorge carved by the Natisone River over the course of geological history, into ancient alluvial deposits. Among these, conglomerates, clastic sedimentary rocks, with more or less rounded elements of the diameter of gravel, cemented together, are very common. The landscape of the Natisone Gorge reaches great levels of spectacularity due to the continuous succession of micro and macro water erosion phenomena, with the presence of potholes and rock shelters. In this section, the Natisone River receives contributions from various tributaries, such as the Alberone and Lesa streams on the left, and the Emiliano brook on the right. The surrounding countryside, where not urbanized and intensively cultivated, still hosts some examples of stable grasslands on lean alluvial soils, dominated by grasses and characterized by a rich and diverse flora, including many orchids. The most easily accessible viewpoints are the existing bridges over the Natisone River, in Cividale (Ponte del Diavolo and the new bridge) and in San Quirino and Premariacco (Roman bridge).
Accessibility: Along the entire gorge, there are numerous pedestrian access points to the river, reachable from side roads of SS54 and from the road connecting Carraria to San Quirino.