Description
Discovering secret places
In a magnificent valley in the heart of the Lepontine Prealps, between Lake Como and Lake Lugano, lies the Valsanagra Park, home to the Sanagra stream, better known as the Senagra, which flows from the mountain slopes to its mouth in Menaggio. In 2005, in order to enhance and protect this area, the Valsanagra Park was recognized as a Local Park of Supra-municipal Interest (PLIS) by the municipalities of Grandola ed Uniti and Menaggio.
A pearl of nature between Lario and Ceresio
Valsanagra Park extends across a vast area characterized by a still almost pristine and wild natural environment, rich in animal and plant species and ancient rural settlements, through which numerous trails also wind.
The Valsanagra Park is quite large, considering that it runs entirely from north to south along the valley axis, with an altitude difference of 1900 m and a 15 km route. To the north of the valley are Mounts Tabor, Marnotto and Bregagno (2107 m), while to the south-east is the Menaggio area. To the east of the valley is Mount Grona (1736 m) and to the west is the Cavargna Valley, reachable by following the path that from Alpe Logone (1100 m) climbs up to Mount Pizzone (1742 m).
An extraordinary natural environment
The still wild landscape, carved out by the Sanagra River and shaped by glaciers, is characterized by the presence of woods, meadows, and mountain pastures that alternate to form a veritable natural mosaic. Rare and endemic plant species are also present, such as the prized Abies alba fir forest that covers the river's drainage basin. The remarkable wildlife, with more than a hundred resident animals, the unique microclimate, and the low level of urbanization, combined with the location's accessibility, make this area one of the most interesting from a naturalistic and environmental perspective in the Larian region.
History and ethnographic heritage
The preservation of this natural heritage, which presents a nearly pristine environment, is primarily due to its historical legacy. The first settlements were initially seasonal, linked to livestock farming and forestry activities, and became permanent only after the establishment of artisanal and industrial activities that exploited the stream's water for energy purposes. Since ancient times, the diversion of water from the Sanagra stream has been used to power millstones, furnace hammers (located at "Forno" – Cardano), and turbines for electricity generation (Silk Mill and Venini Company in Menaggio). Although these activities have now ceased, the remains of the facilities represent an invaluable ethnographic heritage and have become part of the Valsanagra Ecomuseum, which can be visited along the trail. The museum also includes the Valsanagra Ethnographic and Naturalistic Museum in the municipality of Grandola e Uniti, with interesting exhibition rooms on the area's naturalistic peculiarities.
Geology and paleontology
Another important factor that has determined the fate of this area is its highly diverse geological nature, which has been affected by the passage of the "Grona line," a fault of regional importance that here crosses a fossil deposit of national importance, namely the carbonaceous outcrop of Alpe di Logone.
The Valsanagra Ecomuseum
The Valsanagra Park is an integral part of the Ecomuseum, it has developed and works in full partnership with it, together with the Valsanagra Ethnographic Natural History Museum.
The Paleontological Hall houses plant remains dating back over 310 million years, unique finds in Lombardy, considered the oldest fossils in the entire province, and rare even at a national level.
Nearby
- The Valsanagra Naturalistic Ethnographic Museum
- Villa Mylius Vigoni — Splendid 19th-century residence on Lake Como, in Loveno, a hamlet of Menaggio
- La Piano Lake Nature Reserve
- Empire Forest - A nature trail in the municipality of Carlazzo, one of the many forests created in the 1930s that is home to many animal species.
Experiences
- Cycle path — Former Menaggio-Porlezza railway
- Health Path — A trail equipped for physical activity, almost 4 kilometers long. From Loveno (320 m), a town above Menaggio, you can get there by following the signs for Piamuro (or Pianure).
Gallery
