Alta Valle del Tevere - Monte Nero Nature Reserve
Walks in the greenery of the Valtiberina
The Alta Valle del Tevere - Monte Nero Nature Reserve, a few kilometres north of Pieve Santo Stefano, protects the curved mountain ridge formed by Poggio Tre Vescovi (1,240 m above sea level), Poggio Bastione (1,193 m) and Monte Nero (1,228 m), which follows the Tosco-Emilian border, extending south to include the Passo delle Gualanciole area.
The first few kilometres of the river Tiber, whose source is in Emilia in the nearby Monte Fumaiolo, flows at the foot of the Monte Nero ridge, where it collects water from the Cananeccia torrent. The man-made settlements in this part of the Apennines consist in the small medieval walled villages of Valsavignone, Castellare and Cerignone, as well as a few scattered farms like Le Gualanciole.
The protected area is almost entirely wooded, apart from some shrubbery and rocky outcrops by the meadows. An almost undisturbed environment, made of woodland and almost inaccessible rocky areas, which is ideal for large predators, such as wolves and eagles.
The Visitor Center is located not far from the Passo delle Gualanciole and is the starting point of a dense network of paths, which can be traveled on foot, by bicycle and on horseback.
