The 'Sentiero dei Vecchi Mestieri' (Old Trades Trail) follows ancient paths that have linked the two sides of Valle di Cembra from time immemorial.
Whereas the existence of such paths helps explain, for instance, why in the past young people from Sover frequently ended up marrying young people from Grauno or Grumes, the presence of paths across the 'Dossone di Cembra' (i.e. the ridge separating Valle di Cembra from Valle dell'Adige) paved the way for seasonal workers to descend to the Unterland/Bassa Atesina (the area around Auer/Ora, Neumarkt/Egna and Salurn/Salorno). A road system that seemed irretrievably lost following the 1966 flood and is now the focus of a comprehensive recovery programme. The walk restores the ethnographic fabric of the upper valley through artefacts and factories that in some cases remained in operation until the 1950s: the lime kilns, certainly not easy to find in a geological framework dominated at all levels by Permian porphyry, the mills driven by the diversion of important watercourses, and the forges where metal and textiles were worked. The naturalistic component is equally noteworthy. The Avisio gorge in this section has a high degree of naturalness.
Ufficio Turistico Cembra - Tel. +39 0461 683110 - info@visitvaldicembra.it – www.visitvaldicembra.it
THE 10 RULES FOR HIKERS
From Grauno one descends to the Avisio torrent, first on comfortable roads, then on paths through a wild and fascinating landscape. In years gone by, this road was used by the inhabitants of Grauno to cultivate their land almost up to the banks of the Avisio torrent. Also notable were the passages for small trade exchanges with Sover, Montesover and Piscine, or purely for visits of friendship or kinship. These contacts were interrupted in 1966 when a flood swept away the bridge connecting the two banks of the Avisio, and only in 2009, with its reconstruction, were they able to resume (Pont da la Rio). From the small Maso dei Molini, just on the opposite side of the Avisio torrent, turning left, one can then follow the 'Sentiero dei vecchi mestieri' (Old Trades Trail). This is a very suggestive path, which runs for a long stretch alongside the torrent, to arrive at Maso Pianacci; from here you climb up a steep little road to Piscine. From here, it is possible to reach Sover by following the dirt road (percorso vita) which branches off in the lower part of the village, or by following the provincial road, then descending again to Molini. Crossing the bridge over the Avisio again, you reach Maso La Rio, and continuing along another stretch of the 'Sentiero dei vecchi mestieri' (old trades trail), which takes you back up to Grauno. From Maso La Rio, one encounters the ruins of mills that have been in disuse since the 1960s; the recently restored 'blacksmith's forge' as well as the 'Venetian-style sawmill' located alongside the former state road. Further up is the 'Cristofori mill', from where you can return to Grauno in a few minutes. Unforgettable are the views of the landscape that can be admired along this route.
Hiking shoes, rain-jacket, hiking poles, water, snack and sun cream.
