Walk - the provincial nature reserve Fontanazzo

Difficulty T: Touristic Route.

The particular water system of the Biotope Fontanazzo is one of the major reasons of natural interest of the reserve: some importante sources of the valley floor are comprised in the protected area and are linked to the carsic complex that gathers the water of the rainfalls of the plateau that lies above it.

From 1950 on, several reclamation interventions have been made (digging drainage channels, the drop of the aquifer), and they have led to an almost total drain of the area. Thanks to the economic support of the European Union, further works were carried out in 2003, that involved the creation of channels that brought back the circulation of superficial waters.

From an environmental point of view, Fontanazzo is very diversified: it includes parts of riparian woods (where black and white alders and white willows are found)that represents the most characteristic vegetation as well as fields, the river, the river bed and other minor water streams.

Many species of birds and mammals found shelter, nutrition and reproduction opportunities in the vegetation.

To visit the Fontanazzo provincial nature reserve, it is possible to follow the path which is nearly 4,3km in length, of which a bit more than one third are internal to the biotope and the rest is esternal to it. The Sentiero di Visita (Visit path) can be easily undertaken by anyone and on the way various stops to observe the birds are found, togheter with tables and descriptive boards.