GROTTE DAY - Spring Festival at the Onferno Caves

The GROTTE DAY, spring among the gypsum caves of Onferno

The GROTTE DAY - Spring Festival is the event that each year, at the beginning of spring, officially opens the visiting season for the Onferno Caves, in the heart of the Onferno Oriented Nature Reserve, in the Municipality of Gemmano, province of Rimini. For an entire weekend, the hills of Valconca become the stage for an event that intertwines nature, geology, history, and popular traditions of the area, in one of the most fascinating protected areas of Emilia-Romagna.

The caves and the nature reserve

Established in 1991, the Onferno Oriented Nature Reserve covers about 300 hectares and is the only nature reserve in the province of Rimini. Its heart is the karst complex of the gypsum caves, carved over time by the erosive action of water: the gypsum, friable and with silvery reflections, is nicknamed "moonstone". The caves host an extraordinary colony of bats, with six different species, and for this reason, from May to September, the route is partially restricted to protect the breeding area. The site has been recognized as UNESCO World Heritage within the Gypsum and Caves of Northern Apennines site.

Historical memory and historical route

The Onferno Caves are not just a natural monument: during World War II, in the autumn of 1944, about five hundred people found refuge there to escape bombings, staying for weeks. The historical route is dedicated precisely to this memory, enhanced during the festival with conferences at the Multimedia Museum, video interviews, and testimonies, as well as a visit to the ancient kiln and the gypsum mill, where the "gessaroli" (gypsum workers) once worked.

The festival program

During the GROTTE DAY weekend, numerous activities for all ages take place:

• conferences and meetings at the Multimedia Museum, with institutional greetings and historical accounts;
• guided tours of the tourist and historical routes of the caves;
• nature treks in the reserve, discovering flora and fauna;
• creative workshops for children and families;
• market of local producers and events to promote eco-sustainable tourism.

An event for the whole family

Organized by the association La Nottola Aps-Asd, which manages the reserve, the GROTTE DAY is the ideal opportunity to discover a lesser-known corner of the Rimini hinterland, away from the beaches but just a few kilometers from the coast. Between excursions, education, and tradition, the Spring Festival of Onferno confirms the deep bond between the Municipality of Gemmano, its nature reserve, and the broader environmental identity of Emilia-Romagna.