Riserva Naturale Boschi del Giovetto di Paline

The Forest Landscape

• Trail Conditions: On foot

At about 300m from Croce di Salven, take a dirt road on the right (trail marker no. 102) which is forbidden to motor vehicles - unless they have an authorization - and farther on, after "Val dei frasen" you will reach the first rest area, where Giovetto Nature Reserve begins. Follow the comfortable road bordering the uphill limit of the protected area to get to "Val marsa". The name of the place (rotten valley) is due to the presence of chips of blackish rocks, where it is possible to find a fresh water spring. The itinerary goes ahead uphill for a few hundred meters, going beyond on the right another spring adorned by a fountain made from a large larch trunk. The walk goes on across a wonderful conifer wood. Along the itinerary some beech trees can be observed: they can be easily identified thanks to the oval-shaped leaves with a shining green color. Beech trees are rare, since they have been always subject to an intense cutting to obtain timber.
The road crosses stretches covered with Spruce fir high forest or with Norway spruce, which are rather thick. Near the Giovetto Pass you get to a wide grassy space equipped with a fountain, benches, and informative panels; it is the location "Crus del pelat", where you can rest for a moment and enjoy the peacefulness of the area, rejoiced by the singing of the several birds living in these woods. Farther on, after a short ascent, you get to the Giovetto Pass.