“Al gir d’la Preda” e farming villages

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Around the Pietraruns the long ring called “al gir d’la Preda”, a surfaced road of 16 km that has views of Pietra from all angles and passed through the most scenic and interesting hamlets and places, starting from Castelnovo ne’ Monti and talking in Carnola, Vologno, Maro, Casale and Campolungo.

These are villages with strong rural array, located in a green belt area of permanent pasture with a scattering of woods and rural hamlets, and still today have a quality agriculture that sees its climax in dairies.
The villages, which used to be exclusively agricultural and rural, have now developed into much livelier, yet still leisurely and highly sought-after residential locations, thanks to the breathtaking scenery, surrounded by nature.

The route is very much suited to trekking, cycling, mountain biking, Nordic skiing and walking and in particular to jogging. The section between Campolongo and Vologno forms part of the so-called “Heart of the Park” (Il Cuore Nel Parco) path section, a section created by the Park authorities themselves along with the Ausl Reggio Emilia and the “il cuore della montagna” (“The heart of the mountain”) association, for the rehabilitation of cardiac patients. There are numerous parking areas along the entire length of the “tour”, from where it is easy to reach the Bismantova area and the peak via an almost limitless number of paths, some of which are ring shaped.