Ridracoli, the most distant village within the municipal area of Bagno di Romagna, is home to just 16 people. The heart of this once populous parish was located in Ponte a Ridracoli where, in addition to the nineteenth-century bridge, there once stood a church, a school, a cemetery, a mill and an inn.
The construction of the imposing dam - which now provides water throughout Romagna - gave new life to this village with the creation of mountain cabins, holiday homes, restaurants, hostels and hotels as well as trails around the reservoir that continue deep into the "National Park of the Casentino Forests". The facilities allow visitors the opportunity to enjoy the area's natural resources to the full. Ponte a Ridracoli is the site of the IDRO Water Ecomuseum. With its interactive displays on numerous themes, from the fauna of the Bidente valley to the relationship between man and water, the Ecomuseum allows visitors to learn about the distribution of this precious resource over our planet.
An itinerary connected to the nearby photovoltaic system, that provides clean energy, enables visitors to experience first-hand the different forms and sources of energy. Another section deals with water-conservation, while in the projection room a 3D movie takes visitors on a journey through the forests around the lake and an interactive itinerary leads them to discover the origins of water, from its birth to the development of life. For nature lovers the "Nature Hub", at the top of the dam, helps reveal the surrounding National Park with tunnels around the lake that reproduce the sights, sounds and feel of the natural world that you find in the Park. The "Technological Hub", on the other hand, shows the history of the dam's construction and its control systems. Don't miss the boat trip on the lake in the summer.