Nature Trail "Le Vene Lake"
- Trail Conditions: On foot
- Interest: Flora
The trail crosses the agricultural territory between the Selva and the river Fiastra. The morphology of this area is mainly due to the action of the river which has been shaping the landscape since the Quaternary period. This itinerary gives the opportunity to observe a peculiar kind of wood, which is similar to the Selva as far as structure is concerned, but which reminds the ancient forests which covered this valley in the past for the presence of some species such as the field maple and the elm. Moreover, the itinerary can be considered among the best ones for the wildlife observation, since three different environments come here together: the cultivated fields, the river, and the wood.
Along the trail you will touch the "Casino del Principe", an evidence of the period when the Abbadia was a hunting reserve; following the course of the river Fiastra, the river ecosystem with its characteristic riparian vegetation; finally, the lake "Le Vene", a former gravel quarry which has been subject to a careful project of environmental restoration since the establishment of the Nature Reserve. Here it is possible to observe interesting species of migratory birds such as the grey heron, the little egret, the coot, the little grebe, and nesting species like the kingfisher and the moorhen.
The trail continues entering for a short stretch the Selva, it goes along an interesting farmhouse, and then gets to the "Pignolara", a pine wood of artificial origins, and finally to the Abbey.
