Panoramic path - The cold valley
Itinerary 2Duration: 3 hours
Distance: 10,5 km
Difference in height: 600mt D+
Difficulty: easy
In this itinerary, we will do a walk very sweet that you will get to know some of the quirks of our territory. From a side part with panoramic lake with its mild climate, on the other side, the part that brings us to the sides of the natural reserve of the Cold Valley(“la valle del freddo”). This is the name of this reserve comes from the particular characteristic of the climate due to the sources of cold air that escapes from the soil.
To access to this route, we recommend you park next to the “via degli Apostoli” in Solto Collina, or park in Riva di Solto in the hamlet of Zorzino (for example, in the main street opposite the church) and rise to “via degli Apostoli” by walking in “via Crebolo”.
The departure of this tour starts from the town of Solto Collina in the “via degli Apostoli 31”. Here you can see the signs “Sentiero Natura del Sebino” and “Sentiero Agrituristico del lago d’Iseo”. Take the path (CAI 565). You reach soon the path to go to San Defendente on the left, but that we follow after going down. Then, go straight on, we will find on the right a bench and then a hunting lodge. Continuing in our direction we will understand the reason which induces the local call this path “the overview”(“la panoramica”).
Between the trees there are many views that open on lake Iseo. We will find two deviations on the right: are links that lead to the lake to the hamlet of Grè of Solto Collina. Continuing our road, we will arrive on a hill called the “Balot”. It takes this name from the dialect of Bergamo, which indicates the big stone. Go straight to begin a downhill on the paved road. From here, at the first intersection, take the path that goes left and we will reach the top there. Once side of the pass, we will start to go down slightly until, on the left, we enter the path of the valley of the cold.
Here we will be surrounded by nature and it will not be difficult to have meetings with typical animals of the reserve. On the left you will notice the towns of Sovere and Pianico, and then the industrial area of Endine. After this continuous up and down, it will begin a climb that will take us to lick the village of Esmate. From here we go to the cemetery of Esmate that we go beyond until you get to the roadside shrine of “Madonna of Pompei”, in the hamlet of Esmate; behind which lies the path 565C that leads to the hermitage of San Defendente.
Behind the church under the pic-nic area, are pathways that connect (attention steep) to the path 565 from where we started to return to the beginning of the path.
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