From Baletrone to Cascina Poncetta (Northern nature route)
- Trail Conditions: On foot
- Interest: Flora, Wildlife, Geology
- Duration: 3 hour/s
- Difficulty Level: facile e accessibile a tutti
- Recommended Period: from January to May, from November to December
It is a circular route that winds through the heart of the Reserve through agricultural land until reaching behind the sedge and reed thickets that border the southern shores of Lake Mezzola and the small Lake of Dascio.
The itinerary starts from the Baletrone area, in the immediate vicinity of the current Dubino railway station. Following the vertical signs, you walk along the agricultural land up to Cascina Poncetta, a rustic house which has recently undergone conservative restoration. Inside the building there are classrooms to accommodate school groups and visiting tourists and the ringing center for scientific purposes is also housed here.
In the surrounding garden there are equipped picnic spots. Immersed in the silence and colors of nature, you can continue along the path. In this stretch, the natural banks of the ancient riverbeds of the Adda are still clearly visible, small sandy mounds covered by vegetation, often used by foxes to build their dens. Along the rows of poplars that line part of the route you can see the great spotted woodpecker and the green woodpecker which make themselves noticed in spring by drumming noisily on the trunks. Also in spring, we note the wonderful blooms of the yellow iris that dot the damp meadows around the stables in the Poncetta area. The second part of the route leads to the discovery of the mysterious world of the reeds and the observation of some of its inhabitants.
- Duration of the route: 3 hours - Easy route and accessible to all.
- Starting points of the route: Dubino railway station or Ponte del Passo (vehicle parking areas - railway station - near the Ponte del Passo or along the former SS. 402)
- Best period: November - May
