Asti is a city in the Southern part of Piedmont Region in Italy. Today we are going to let you know three itineraries in the hills surrounding Asti.
This land is worldly famous for the super white wines it produces. Moscato d’Asti and Asti Spumante among all are sacred names for wine lovers. An holiday here will be a special occasion to see ancient roads, castles and vineyards, historic villages on the hills, gourmet restaurants and small cafes.
Slow Food, the international organization that promotes biodiversity and local, good and clean food, was born here, and the slowness is rewarded for those who stop here to enjoy these lands in all their goodness.
When the strong cold weather has passed, in spring, these hills wait for you, to offer a great variety of flavors, cheeses, chocolate and flowers are the most impressive
The hills of Asti preserve the most interesting natural parks of southern Piedmont, characterized by a the typical landscape of this region. These protected areas are The natural park of Rocchetta di Tanaro, the nature reserves of Valle Andoni, Valle Botto, Valle Grande and Val Sarmassa.
Rocchetta Tanaro has got its inner value in the forest, where the dominant species are oaks, rovere, farnia and Turkey oak. The presence of four species of Quercus, favors the formation of many hybrids and intermediate forms. Regarding the mammals fauna squirrel, dormice, hedgehogs, badgers and foxes are the most common. Among the birds woodpecker, the Willow green, the noisy jays. Moreover, it’s to underline the presence of crayfish, excellent ecological indicator.
Valle Botto and Special Natural Reserve of Valle Grande are two protected areas, consisting of two separate valleys. Once these lands were submerged by the sea. The establishment of the Reserve has as its primary purpose in the preservation of the heritage represented by the paleontological fossils – shells and remains of marine and terrestrial animals- coming from the Pliocene period (5-1,8 million years ago). The soil here presents some sedimentary strata outcropping along the walls of the valleys.
Reserve Andoni Valle and Valle Botto, now expanded to the Valle Grande, also offers interesting starting point for naturalistic observations. The slopes of the hills once cultivated with vineyards are now mostly covered with forests of locust, hornbeam, oak. The dominant species in the undergrowth are the core, the fusaggine, the honeysuckle and clematis.
Special Natural Reserve of Sarmassa contains hills covered by forests, lawns, fields and vineyards. A pristine environment where you can discover a great richness of flora and fauna species. From a geological point of view there are many mussels, clams, remains of marine mammals. Naturalistic aspects are flanked by the history and culture of an area that has origins far in time.
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