Buche di Nese

The Nese stream flows down from Valseriana through limestone rock that centuries of current have smoothed into a sequence of natural pools, known locally as "buche" (pools). We are in the territory of Alzano Lombardo, in the province of Bergamo, in a stretch of valley where woodland closes in the landscape on both sides and the water keeps a temperature that, even at the height of summer, retains something alpine. The pools lie between Corna Bianca and the town of Alzano, in an area that official maps mark without particular emphasis, but that anyone who knows the Bergamo area has learned of through word of mouth, passed from person to person.

The starting point of the route is the hamlet of Burro, near the Trattoria del Brugo, from where a path leads to the pools following the course of the stream. The first pool is reached without particular difficulty and makes for a pleasant stop even for those with no experience of walking in the wild. The pools further on demand more care: the path becomes less maintained, the ground can be slippery on wet rock, and the right equipment — non-slip footwear, practical clothing — makes the difference between a relaxed walk and an uncomfortable one. This is not a waymarked itinerary, nor a protected area with dedicated infrastructure: it is a river environment that keeps its untamed nature precisely because no one has made it any more accessible than it already is.

Its closeness to Bergamo — less than ten kilometres from the city centre — makes Buche di Nese a nearby destination for those living in the urban area, though it has remained mostly known to locals. The absence of widespread signage and organised tourist promotion has preserved a fragile balance: that of a place still working to the rhythm of those who have always known it, not to that of seasonal crowds. The crystal-clear water of the pools, the dense vegetation filtering the light, the constant sound of the current combine into a setting where time seems to slow down, though no one ever planned it that way.