Trail 42 – Grotte di Sarego

Easy walk through the hills of the western Berici “Riviera.” Allows for several variants that shorten or lengthen the hike as desired.

Recommended equipment and clothing

Sturdy shoes with non-slip tread sole, backpack;
Wear long pants; the rest of the clothing must be appropriate for the season;
Bring some water and food;
Bring a topographic map, compass, first aid kit, mobile phone with useful phone numbers.

Trail 42 Details

Car parking ???

Starting point on foot Piazza di Sarego

Technical difficulty None (easy route); suitable for people in good physical and mental health

Route length 8 km

Elevation gain and loss between 40 m and m. 230

Travel time 2-3 hours

Route description

along the route

Observation Points

The center of Sarego

(1)

From the center of Sarego, head toward the church, dedicated to the Madonna Assunta, climbing the staircase leading to the square from which you can enjoy a beautiful panorama. Follow the main road uphill for 200-300 meters, bordered by the boundary wall of Villa Manzoni, which can be seen downhill. Before reaching the junction (elevation 90.20), observe on the left a first outcrop of stratified volcanic tuff; then turn right following Via Crosetta. Pass in front of a water tank and some houses; before the last house and below the road is the old neighborhood fountain with trough and washbasin, shaded by hackberry trees. Then leave the road for the unpaved country lane on the left between cultivated fields and a row of mulberry trees; at a water pond, climb through a small wood making a couple of turns and joining first a private lane, then Strada Peociosa. Turn left following the main road heading northeast, reaching the end of the climb near some sinkholes south of Monte della Nebbia.

Start of Grotte variant

(2)

The route turns east along an unpaved path that climbs a hill and continues level between cultivated fields and patches of woodland along the old Strada Comunale di Forlarea. To the north you can see the village of Grotte di Sarego; following the signs, continue until reaching the Forlarea area, from where, following the cart track (Strada Vicinale delle Zeggie), you cross a large, well-cultivated flat area. You emerge onto an asphalt road near a beautiful shrine to St. Anthony of Padua; mysterious and of more ancient origin is the stone marker opposite it.

Start of Rocchetta variant

(3)

At the junction 200 meters ahead, you can see some access openings to the quarries from which the famous "Pietra di Vicenza" was extracted.

Start of Buso della Giareta variant

(4)

Continuing left along Via Dalla Prà, you pass the "Palazzina"

Start of Fontana Granda variant

(5)

Reaching a crossroads with a small votive shrine to St. Anthony. Turn left onto the Mezzavia road (formerly Strada Comunale della Palazzina), descending a pleasant ridge path. Just before the Castelletto hamlet, observe the orderly agricultural landscape and the typical rural house on the left, with porch, chicken coop, pigsty, oven, and "lissiara." At the hamlet's shrine, turn left entering a small valley where, after the wide curve in the road (elevation 112.90), colored clays emerge whose impermeability is the main factor in the presence of springs in the area. Downhill you can glimpse the pleasant hill with what remains of the ancient monastery of S. Eusebio. Walking the last stretch leading toward the village, observe on the right the basaltic slope, evidence of the great outflow of volcanic material extending to the Lessini Mountains, here buried by further marine sediments as demonstrated by the fossiliferous limestone of the peak at elevation 109.60. At the junction at elevation 57.90, turn left onto Via Gambarina, passing a sport fishing pond (il Brolo); descending instead toward Busentin, you can see the old neighborhood "mato" (well with pump). In any case, it will be easy to reach the starting point, near which the most interested visitors can discover another curiosity: the old municipal "giazara" (ice house).

Grotte variant

(6)

Reaches the village of Grotte with its small church from 1840 dedicated to the Blessed Virgin of Sorrows. Pilgrims even from lower Verona flocked for the traditional festival with solemn votive procession of the Madonna.

Rocchetta variant

(7)

Descends the Rocchetta ridge along the municipal road of the same name

Fontana Granda variant

(8)

100 meters before the "Palazzina," a path descends to Fontana Granda and from there through the woods to the main trail.

Buso della Giareta variant

(9)

Extending the route by a few km.
Following Via Monte Paolina, you reach Case Frigo (elevation 220) where you can see a characteristic stone well dated 1858. Further on, you will notice on the right the large sinkhole called Valle del Lago. After crossing the asphalt road, continue on the unpaved road reaching the La Busa area. With a sharp turn to the left, the route continues, then offering the hiker the possibility of a further extension toward Monte Baralde (248 m) above the Val Liona below. In any case, upon reaching Buso della Giareta, continue along Via Dalla Prà, which connects to the main route.

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