Discover what to do in Valbrenta in the province of Vicenza: La Calà del Sasso, Lake Ponte Subiolo, the Oliero Caves, the Brenta cycle path. Want to know more? First of all…
Where is Valbrenta?
The municipality of Valbrenta borders to the northeast with Arsiè, to the northwest with Grigno, to the southeast with Bassano del Grappa, to the southwest with Asiago and Conco, to the east with Arsiè, Seren del Grappa, Pieve del Grappa, Borso del Grappa, Pove del Grappa and Solagna, to the west with Grigno, Enego, Foza, Asiago and Conco.
La Calà del Sasso
Made up of 4,444 limestone steps clad in the autumn season with a thick and slippery layer of red and gold leaves falling from the branches of tall beech trees, the longest staircase on the peninsula winds like a rock snake between the cold and impetuous course of the Brenta and the enchanting village of Sasso di Asiago, a cheerful hamlet harmoniously set among steep green hills, crowned by the white bell tower that rises next to the bright facade with salients of a plain church.
An unmissable destination for hiking enthusiasts, the ancient route dating back to the 14th century was designed to facilitate the transport of tree trunks downstream.
According to a legend from about four hundred years ago, two inhabitants of Sasso about to get married, Loretta and Nicolò, had suffered a terrible misfortune.
Because of a serious illness that had struck the pregnant young woman, the promised groom set out to find an ointment capable of healing his beloved. Reaching the city of Padua and obtaining the precious remedy, Nicolò returned to his village late at night and the local population lit torches along the Calà del Sasso to guide the young lover to Loretta and save her.
To celebrate this romantic and fairy-tale tradition, every second Sunday of August, a lively commemorative torchlight procession takes place, ending with a big party with music and banquets of local specialties.
Lake Ponte Subiolo
Set in the locality of Sasso Stefani, a hamlet of Valstagna enclosed between the icy ribbon of the Brenta and the overhanging sheer walls of high peaks crowned by dense wooded formations, the clear Lake Ponte Subiolo is one of the most evocative natural destinations in the province of Vicenza.
To reach the icy mirror of water emerging from the silent underground currents, you can leave your car in the parking lot at Via Ponte Subiolo (45.87090692482568, 11.669021642702242), then climb the staircase that winds between the tall houses overlooking the river and leads to a pleasant tree-lined garden from which you access the ancient spring.
If the parking lot is occupied, you will find a larger unpaved area from which rises a row of well-aligned cypress poplars (45.87276981916538, 11.671909841350617).
The shiny and thin sheet of blue glass reflects the image of trees and shrubs that, anchored to the bare rock walls dotted with tufts of moss, stretch their branches toward the surface of the spring. Light ripples moved by the wind and leaves slowly falling on the water reveal the illusion of being in front of a painted canvas. Only by diving into the natural cavity, a privilege reserved for expert divers, can one experience the irresistible and dangerous charm of the abyssal and dark depths hidden by the placid surface of the lake basin.
The Oliero Caves
One of the most significant destinations in Valbrenta, the Oliero Caves are the drainage channels from which the sparkling and crystalline waters spring, flowing from the glacial sinkholes of the majestic plateau of the seven municipalities.
Enveloping the natural site in an aura of magic and mystery are the violent plays of light and shadow from the electric beams aimed at the stalactites hanging like swollen dripping roots, the roar of foaming waterfalls reverberating among the walls of the karst caves, the dark caverns with low rocky ceilings leading to large underground water basins where fast and silent pale specimens of olm and axolotl dart, a small elusive salamander with cute and expressive little eyes.
Of the four caves accessible via winding routes, the most historically significant are the Parolini cave, discovered by the explorer of the same name in the first half of the 19th century, and the legendary den of assassins, so called after the discovery of some findings fueled the hypothesis that in this cavern some henchmen in the service of Ezzelino da Romano found refuge.
Walk along the Brenta
After finishing the visit to the natural site, leave the cave entrance behind you, turn right and proceed east crossing the bridge over the short course of the Oliero river with its rocky bed, after which turn left into the parking area passing by two young oak trees.
From the parking lot, proceed to the metal railing and follow the wide bend of the Oliero, whose waters, after a few meters, flow into the Brenta.
Capable of offering splendid wide-ranging views of the river landscape with its wooded banks, the serene cycle path will take you after about 6 km to the stunning Ponte Vecchio, a spectacular wooden communication route designed by the great architect Andreo Palladio that allows access to the historic center of Bassano del Grappa.
If you wonder what to do in Valbrenta and wish to discover an uncontaminated and primordial world rich in natural and wildlife treasures removed from urbanization in a silent dimension where time seems to have stopped, a visit to this cheerful and lush municipality in the Vicenza area will be an unforgettable experience.
