Walk through the Spring Valley

This excursion is highly recommended at the end of February and in March. Thanks to a favourable climate, the Spring Valley (Frühlingstal) produces a sea of spring flowers very early in the year. We start our trip at the large car park in Monticolo, which is still free of charge at this time of year (parking fees apply during the warmer months). We walk along the road towards Monticolo until we reach a small patch of forest. Following path number 5, we then arrive in the village.

It is a small hamlet set apart from the other districts of Appiano on the Wine Road. A few houses cluster around the Church of the Three Holy Kings, and everything feels quiet and peaceful. We can already see the signpost pointing into the forest. It is hard to miss: number 20, "Valle della Primavera" and "Frühlingstal", and the snowdrop symbol all point in the same direction.

We are now at the Monte di Mezzo, the ridge that separates the Oltradige area from the Adige River. The path winds pleasantly through the Spring Valley (Fabion Valley), which is a protected nature reserve. Snowdrops and liverworts spread out before our eyes like a white, green, and purple carpet. The small Angelbach stream flows between them. Later, after the first spring flowers have faded, violets, lesser celandine, and wood anemones shape the landscape.

The best part is that as allergy sufferers we don't notice any pollen here yet, so we can fully enjoy the blossoms. Eventually, we reach a clearing that is perfect for a break. Afterwards, a small road leads down to San Giuseppe and Lake Caldaro. Today, however, we decide against this route. Instead, we walk along a small track and then follow the road back to Monticolo. We enjoy a sweet treat at the tennis bar. The pure walking time of this easy hike is around 1.5 hours, but we extended this first spring day into a whole afternoon.

---

Author: RB

Experienced: beginning of March 2026

---