Travel time: 1h 15′
Difficulty: T (Tourist)
Route: Bike & Trekking
Notes: path initially not marked
Departure: Turano (680 m)
Arrival: Turano (680 m)
Difference in altitude: 100 m
To visit: Antichi Mestieri – the old watermill and the “Venetian” Sawmill (for information, tel. 0365.745060 / 0365.745007 info@visitvalvestino.it).
The cartography is an extract from the map 4LANd n. 111 “Parco Alto Garda Bresciano”
The starting and finishing point of our route is the village of Turano (680 m), where there it is possible to park and there is a food bar (+39.0365.74063). At the town square, near the bank, we take Via Repubblica. At the end of the street, a dirt road begins, which we follow until we reach a chapel, where we turn right.
The descent surrounded by greenery, takes about twenty minutes and brings us to an ancient stone bridge from the Austro-Hungarian period with a wonderful view of the Turano. Crossing it, we find ourselves on the alphalted road that leads us to the old watermill at Turano in about five minutes.
A new part of the route is under construction, which will allow us, by crossing a bridge, to move to the opposite side and reach a building, the old forge, where metals were worked.
After returning to the car park of the Museum, which we cross in full length, near the other visible building the dirt track begins which, in about 25 minutes, takes us to the Venetian Sawmill. The recently built section runs parallel to the asphalt road along the river. We pass under the Austro-Hungarian bridge we crossed earlier and, in a few metres, we reach an area equipped with wooden tables for picnics and a barbecue area. We proceed until we get onto the provincial road, near the hydroelectric power station in the locality of “Streta”, which we cross taking the dirt road on the right where we can observe the ancient calchera and the characteristic humid area. There is also another picnic area right where the torrent flows.
We proceed through the beautiful fir wood until we find the trail marker. Then we cross the stream by means of the small wooden bridge and proceed along the dirt track that runs parallel to the asphalt road and climbs up towards Magasa until reaching the Venetian Sawmill.
After a few hundred metres on the tarmac road, or returning along the route we have just travelled, we reach the roundabout at Bersaglio and take via Don Luigi Festi on the left, which in about fifteen minutes takes us to the ancient parish church in the valley, dedicated to St John the Baptist, where the feast of the Perdono di Turano is celebrated on the penultimate Sunday in August.
Tradition has it that in 1166 Pope Alexander III (1159-1181), in exile from Rome, passed through Valvestino in pursuit of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. Helped by the Valvestinesi, the Pope granted them the special plenary indulgence of the <Perdono>.
We then take Via Don Luigi Andreoli, which in about ten minutes takes us back to the village of Turano, passing once again by the Santella seen on the way up, and then back into the village square.
1. The entrance to the dirt road at the end of Via Repubblica.
2. Shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary, where we turn right.
3. Section along the path descending from the village of Turano.
4. The Austro-Hungarian bridge.
5. From the bridge, view of Turano.
6. Museum of ancient crafts – the old watermill at Turano.
7. The old watermill, interior with explanatory panels.
8. Picnic area equipped for barbecues.
9. Section of the cycle-pedestrian path linking the Mill to the calchera.
10. The old calchera.
11. Detail of the wetland at Bersaglio.
12. Venetian sawmill.
13. Roundabout at Bersaglio with a monument to Giuseppe Feltrinelli.
14. The thousand-year-old parish church of San Giovanni Battista.
Bike and Trekking
Visit Val Vestino
Interactive experience, available for free for your iPhone and Android device