Description

The hike here presented is a comfortable walk discovering the hamlets surrounding the village of Canal San Bòvo, in Vanòi Valley, namely Práde, Cicóna and Zortèa.

The main feature of this side of Vanoi Valley is that it is particularly sunny. That is the reason why several interesting hamlets lie between Canal San Bovo and the very bottom of the Valley of Lòzen.

The walk begins in the village of Canal San Bovo, the main in the valley.

Initially, the historic center of Canal San Bovo is passed through. The bell tower of the Church of the Saints Bartolomeo Apostolo and Bovo Confessore stands in the very center of the village. The baroque church was designed by the engineer Leopoldo de Claricini from Friuli and consecrated in 1852. The church preserves valuable pieces such as the organ of 1777 (made by the famous organist Gaetano Callido and then finalized by Lingiardi), the monumental main altar of 1714 in gilded wood and the decorous tabernacle of 1595, in gilded iron and enclosed inside a wooden one. The altar is a piece of unique manufacture in the territory of Trento.

Once the village of ​​Canal San Bovo is passed, we immediately reach the hamlet of Somprá where, on the right hand side, the path called Sentiero delle Rore begins. The path develops entirely in the forest through a series on hairpin bends and leads to the hamlet of Coróni, at the entrance to the village of Prade. The tiny village of Prade (171 inhabitants) is located at 899 m a.s.l. and it is well known because every ten years it hosts the historical-religious drama “Godimondo and Fortunato“, a representation that has its origins in the 1700s.

After the church of Prade, dedicated to Our Lady of Caravaggio, the hike continues by following a track reaching Cicona through the pastures. The hamlet (85 inhabitants), known for its micro-climate suitable for growing crops. Cicona is the highest point of our itinerary (989 m a.s.l.).

From the very top of the hamlet of Cicona, just follow the gravel road called Salvania, which allows you to cross the valley and reach the hamlet of Zortea (162 inhabitants). With its dominant position on Canal San Bovo, Zortea offers a spectacular view of the mountains that surround it, particularly on Sass Maór which stands on its northern side. Zortea, likewise the other hamlets, shows a strong rural and agricultural background.

By following the path called Sentiero delle Buse, crossing the pastures of Zortea, the hamlet of Molineri comes immediately. From this point on the road leads back to Canal San Bovo, touching the hamlet of Berni for then turning into a mule-track.

Paths

• From Canal San Bovo, walk across the village up to the path called Sentiero delle Rore,
• Follow the path uphill until reaching the hamlet of Prade,
• Once the Prade‘ church is passed, follow the path through the pastures until getting in Cicona,
• From the edge of Cicona, take the road Salvania until reaching Zortea,
• From Zortea, take the path called Sentiero delle Buse to Molineri,
• From Molineri, follow the road then turning into mule-track leading you back to Canal San Bovo. ✓

Variants

• After descending from Zortea, by the hamlet of Molineri, there was a nice bridge which collapsed after the storm hit it, in October 2018. Crossing the bridge allows you to arrive in the hamlets of Barbine and Revedea, which are now accessible only by following the main asphalt road.
• From the village of Cicona, before joining the Salvania gravel road, you can keep to the left and follow the Boalón-Fiamena gravel road, allowing you to reach Malga Boalón, making the itinerary considerably longer.

Facts and Stories

• Over the centuries, in Canal San Bovo, Italian, German and Slavic populations (probably from Slovenia and Czech Republic) mixed together. This diversity of cultures can still be seen from the surnames of the Vanoi Valley inhabitants. The German populations, coming from Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Bohemia, reached the Vanoi Valley as miners (Bergknappen). In the valley, the testimonies of these different cultures are numerous.
• Canal San Bovo in the past this was known above all for its cattle market.
• The entire territory of Canal San Bovo was one of the most tragic theaters of the Great War, fought between Italians and Austro-Hungarians along the Lagorai mountain range. In the valley, there are several memorials remembering it.
• The forest heritage of Canal San Bovo is particularly relevant and the municipality is the largest producer of wood in the region of Trentino. Before the Great War, Vanoi wood was transported to Venice through the streams of Vanoi, Cismon and the Brenta river.