Il Sentiero dei vecchi mestieri - da Sover

Historic farmhouses, limestone, ancient chestnuts trees and the wild Avisio stream on an incredibly varied route

The itinerary follows a section of the Historic Crafts ethnographic footpath along the left bank of the Cembra valley.

Starting from Sover town centre, take a straightforward road just outside the town which soon turns into a footpath and continues to the village of Piscine, before descending to SP71, crossing it and turning onto a cobbled mule track which descends steeply into the valley. Just a little further on Castegnar de la paia is waiting for us, a majestic over 400-year-old chestnut tree.

Continuing downhill takes you out at a group of splendid historic farmhouses some of which have been lovingly restored in accordance with traditional architectural styles. You are now at Maso Pianaci.

The footpath continues downhill past the Vettori limestones used until the mid-20th century for lime working and continuing through the woods along the Avisio stream which has carved out spectacular sheer rocks through the valley. It then emerges at Castelir, a very large farmhouse built on the banks of the stream. Now in ruins it was once the fulcrum of life, work and community.

Here our footpath continues on metal walkways attached to the rocks and then the Avisio stream bed before continuing into the forest until the views open up, surprisingly, in a clearing containing Molini di Sover, a clump of houses just a few metres from Pont de la Rio. It then climbs back up to Sover on an attractive road cobbled with pebbles smoothed over by time.