Parco Naturale Regionale della Lessinia

Points of Interest

San Giovanni Ilarione Basalts

On the left slope of Valle d'Alpone, in S.Giovanni Ilarione, a rocky wall looks like a huge beehive. It is the imposing structure of the columnar basalts deriving from Oligocene volcanism. The cooling and contraction of the lava flows around and inside the craters gave origin to prismatic shapes with hexagonal base, the shining black columns one next to the other: an extraordinary natural scenery. During the Middle Eocene, 45 million years ago, the coral reef of "S.Giovanni Ilarione horizon" formed. Its malacofauna includes dozens of mollusc species, in the classification of which the term "hilarionis" is recurrent and has been adopted by the palaeologists all over the world.

Molina Waterfalls

Molina... A medieval town with ancient districts and stone houses, where time melts with nature and environment, where man lived and still lives in harmony with the territory, in the respect of the flora, wildlife, and the ancient but still existing traditions of the miller and malga. The flora is protected to the extent that the "Botany Museum" has been created: here the presence of wonderful species of wild orchids becomes a unique introduction to Molina Waterfalls Park. The Park is the ideal place to carry out naturalistic tours and get surrounded by the thick vegetation alternating with dizzying bare rocky walls, big caves, and wonderful roaring waterfalls: the sound and vigor of the waterfalls convey energy, vitality, and natural strength, all essential elements for our life. Moreover, together with nature and traditions, the local tastes, art, and costumes of Valpolicella and Lessinia show themselves in a simple and characteristic way.
Within the Park you can choose among more visiting opportunities:

• from the environmental route or Trail of the Wood
• to the historical route of the Trail of the Mills
• to the archaeological route of Trail of the Caves

Covoli di Camposilvano

Covolo di Camposilvano is the largest karstic cavity of Prealpi Venete. It is situated in the Municipality of Velo Veronese, at about 100m from Campolsilvano Museum.
The Covolo represents a beautiful example of karstic phenomenon: an abyss of about 70m of depth, in it you can observe a collapse pit and a residual cavity. Moreover, in this cavity you can observe three of the most important rocky formations of Lessinia: from San Vigilio Oolite to Ammonite Red, to Biancone. Another important aspect regards the meteorological phenomena. During the summer, rainfall and sometimes snowfall cause thermal inversion and a cloud forms under the vault of the residual cavity. During the winter, ice covers the floor until late summer and, until a century ago, the local inhabitants used it as a natural fridge to preserve food. According to the tradition, Dante inspired to the Covolo to create the morphology of his Inferno. Moreover, it has always been considered the dwelling place of fairies or ogres, and of the mysterious beings of the popular legends.