Excursion along the BESTbelt pilot area

Hiking day with DGB Bildungswerk Hessen e.V. in the Mea Valley (Italy), part of the ruggedly beautiful area of the springs of the Torre stream and pilot case of the BESTbelt project

Rainy weather at the start of the day, then no showers. But rain is characteristic of these places, which are the wettest in Europe! The trail, starting from Tanataviele (Musi) and ending in the Pian dei Ciclamini area, climbs and descends at the foot of the Musi chain, on the right side of the valley.

We crossed screes and alluvial beds with more or less developed pioneer black pine forests, dry pastures, partially abandoned hay meadows with proliferation of hazels, hop-hornbeams, birches, beeches ash and linden trees. Very appreciated the suggestive rocky impluviums and gravel beds of the small tributary streams rich in plants, such Dryas octopetala, washed or blown down as seeds at the bottom of the valley from the subalpine and alpine levels. During the stops the main ecological and biodiversity characteristics of the area, as long with some ancient, timeless local legends, were illustrated.

A Cold War bunker was also visited and some historical events concerning the border area and their socio-economic implications were summarised. On reaching Pian dei Ciclamini, after some rest at the local mountain hut, the hikers said goodbye and left on their way back to Trenta in Slovenia, very satisfied with the experience.

Contact:
Pierpaolo Merluzzi, European Green Belt Italian Network Association (Social-Promotion Association)
Rete.italiana.egb(at)gmail.com