Eight stages that preserve an ancient land
The trail crosses a vast and ever-changing landscape, from the hills of Valpolicella to the high pastures of Lessinia, before descending once again into the valley. We are in the northwestern part of the Province of Verona, between the Adige River and the limestone peaks of the Lessini Mountains—two distinct landscapes bound together by centuries of shared history and culture.
Walking here means tuning in to an environment that changes with every step: neat rows of vineyards give way to woods, stone hamlets, open pastures, and rocky outcrops. There is no sharp boundary between Valpolicella and Lessinia—and that is the beauty of it: you pass from one to the other almost without noticing, fully immersed in a living landscape rich in history and human presence.
Valpolicella is world-renowned for its great red wines, especially Amarone, but proudly displays traces of a much older past: from Paleolithic archaeological sites to Roman remains like the Temple of Minerva in Marano and the Villa of Mosaics in Negrar. Medieval churches, large parish churches, small village chapels, stone crosses, and votive shrines speak of centuries of faith and tradition. In more recent centuries, the valley has been enriched by numerous Venetian villas, surrounded by gardens, parks, tree-lined avenues, and stone walls that shape a truly unique hilly landscape.
As you climb into Lessinia, the landscape opens up and takes on a new character. You enter the Lessinia Regional Nature Park, a protected area filled with geological, natural, and historical marvels: from the spectacular Molina Waterfalls to the monumental Ponte di Veja, one of the largest natural rock bridges in Europe. Here you’ll encounter stone quarries—some still active—and ancient mountain settlements where stone has been shaped over the centuries to build roofs, fountains, and dry-stone walls. The high pastures offer wide open spaces, ideal for summer grazing, and breathtaking views that stretch into the distance.
On clear days, from these heights you can see the Brenta Dolomites, the Monte Baldo range, the Adige Valley, the Veronese plain, and even the Apennines on the horizon. These are vast, silent panoramas that reward the effort of walking and invite contemplation.
Human presence has also left a deep mark. In Lessinia, you can still sense the influence of the Cimbri, a Germanic people who brought their language, architecture, and traditions. The mountains were lived with ingenuity: pastures, mills, barns, fountains, and stone paths speak of a hard life, deeply rooted in respect for the land.
Today, those who walk this route do so out of passion, a desire for exploration, or the simple joy of walking slowly. And it is precisely that slow pace that allows one to perceive the signs of past and present, in a landscape that changes with the seasons—keeping memory alive while sketching out a future in constant transformation.