Lago di Talvacchia: how to get there and trails

Where Lago di Talvacchia is located

The lake fills a narrow valley, the Valle Castellana. Arriving from Ascoli Piceno, the dam appears between the gorges. The reservoir is divided between the territory of Ascoli and that of Valle Castellana, in the province of Teramo. From the dam it runs up the valley as far as the hamlet of Valloni. A narrow, high bridge is the only crossing. Beyond the bridge, a scenic road climbs to Rocca Monte Calvo, a hamlet of Acquasanta Terme. The water of the lake feeds the Capodiponte hydroelectric power station, at Taverna di Mezzo.

How to get to Lago di Talvacchia

The reference point is Taverna di Mezzo, along the Salaria road. From here, turn left and cross the bridge over the Tronto. Right after the bridge, turn left again onto an uphill road signposted for Valle Castellana. Continuing on, the road passes through a few small villages, including Talvacchia, and then the lake comes into view.

The village of Talvacchia has only one road access, from the Taverna di Mezzo junction, and no drivable road leads down from the village to the lake. Drivers who head up there following a GPS navigator find the road closed. Parking is in the village and, just past the houses, the mule track that leads down to the lake begins.

Rocca Monte Calvo can be reached from Ascoli by crossing the slender bridge over the lake. Alternatively, it can be reached by coming down from San Gregorio, on a stretch of gravel road.

Trails and hikes at Lago di Talvacchia

The main route is the Anello dei Briganti lungolago, trek no. 5 of the Antiche Vie Mulattiere trails of Acquasanta Terme. It can start from Rocca Monte Calvo, San Gregorio, Talvacchia or Cervara. At Rocca Monte Calvo, the car is left near the church and the paved road toward Talvacchia is followed, with views of the dam. Done in full, the loop is about 12 km. It is not easy: there are exposed sections and several climbs and descents.

The trail from Ponte d'Arli to Talvacchia (trek no. 19) is 8.9 km one way, of medium difficulty, and reaches 813 m above sea level. It passes near Carleccitte, a group of abandoned houses perched above the lake. From Talvacchia it is possible to walk down to the dam, but the descent to the lake is very steep and can be skipped.

For cyclists, there is the gravel loop from Mozzano, 46.7 km long and taking about 4 hours and 15 minutes. It runs along the entire length of the lake.

When to visit Lago di Talvacchia

The water level changes a great deal with the seasons. In spring the reservoir is full. In fall it is almost empty and old houses and bridges that are normally submerged reappear. The shores are steep and easy access points are few, so it pays to choose carefully where to approach the water and to check the weather before setting out.

What to see near Lago di Talvacchia

Carleccitte, inhabited until 1960 and now abandoned, can be reached on the trails from Talvacchia. The viewpoints take in the lake and, among the mountains, the Gran Sasso and the Sibillini with the Vettore. Above Rocca Monte Calvo the landscape is made up of terraces and dry stone walls. Along the bike route lies Castel Trosino, perched on a limestone spur. The Forcella waterfalls are near Acquasanta Terme. For other lakes in the area, see the page the lakes of the Sibillini Mountains in the Marche.