Prati Mini Walk

The walk to Prati Mini is ideal if you want to take a relaxing stroll through the beautiful pine forest.

Description:

From the car park of the Prati Mini athletics track, go down Via Michelangelo Da Caravaggio before turning left onto Via Baschenis. At Dosso, stick to the right and follow a flat dirt track for about 200 metres to join Via Muzio. Follow the asphalt road downhill. At the crossroads with Via Trussardi Volpi, go right along a dirt road then, once reached a large farmstead, turn left until reaching the entrance to the Adventure Park in Pineta. Skirt the adventure park and connect to the tarmac cycle path, continuing towards Piario. Leave the asphalted cycle track and, with the hospital building in your sights (after about 500 metres), take the path that climbs sharply to the right. Having passed the ruins of a hunting lodge, you will come out onto a comfortable little road that leads us up to the pretty locality of San Rocco (a large clearing next to the 16ᵗʰ-century church of the same name). To complete the itinerary, retrace your steps and, taking the little road you have just taken without descending along the steep path, get to the Cappelletta dei Morti Vecchi (built in 1776, in memory of the 1630 plague – the old road connecting with the ValSeriana passed through here). From here, turn left then in no time at all (300 metres) go along Via Michelangelo da Caravaggio to reach the athletics centre. Along the way, erratic boulders of granite rock from the ancient Camuno glacier can be seen.

Interestingly, as you walk along the path, you will enter the Clusone pine forest, which was once the holiday resort in the early years of the ValSeriana tourist phenomenon.  Testifying to this are the various villas in Art Nouveau style scattered around the pine forest, a favourite destination for many in the early-20ᵗʰ century. Furthermore, once you reach the top, there is the Chiesetta di San Rocco, built in the 16ᵗʰ century in honour of the patron saint of plague victims, who is celebrated each year on 16ᵗʰ August with an evening fireworks display.

Details

• Starting point: Prati Mini Athletics Centre at Via Michelangelo da Caravaggio 13
• Difficulty: easy – tourist
• Difference in altitude: 100 metres
• Travel time: 1.30 hours