Extensive meadows and then pastures, forests, valleys, prehistoric caves and dolines. The large Lessinia plateau in the Verona area is an area of over 10,000 hectares protected by the Regional Natural Park.
The landscapes are varied and range from the typical environments of the Po Valley to alpine ones, while in the lower hills there are olive groves, vineyards, cherry and chestnut trees.
Among the hiking routes, we propose one that will take you to discover a grandiose work, a phenomenon of karstic origin unique in Europe: the Ponte di Veja, at an altitude of about 600 metres.
This ‘stone giant’, which joins the tops of two hills, is of exceptional dimensions: about 17 metres wide, almost 10 metres thick, with a span of over 50, and with a height of about 30 metres above the bed of the stream below. Natural architecture, the bridge is nothing more than the entrance lintel of an ancient karstic cave whose interior collapsed in prehistoric times.
Nearby is the Palaeontological and Prehistoric Museum, guardian of precious evidence of primordial nature.
Legend has it that the bridge was visited by Dante, who drew inspiration here to describe the Malebolge of his Inferno. The Renaissance artist Mantegna also drew inspiration from the archway for the background of a fresco in the famous Bridal Chamber in the Ducal Palace in Mantua.
Source: www.veneto.eu
