No 29 - Cava Monte Croce and Creste Trail
Duration: 3 hour/s (The walking times are calculated for a trained hiker, they may vary depending on your preparation and specific interest of the features of this trail).
Difficulty Level: Hiking trail with a stretch for experts, and an equipped path on rocks, on Mount Ceva
Length: 2.9 km
Difference in height: about 250 m
Involved Municipalities: Battaglia Terme
GETTING TO THE TRAIL:
From Padua or Monselice, reach Battaglia Terme and follow the signs to Galzignano Terme. You can park your vehicle near the path's point of departure, by the entrance of the former quarry of Monte Croce.
FEATURES:
Length of the Creste trail: 5,4 km
Length of the itineraries on the former quarry of Monte Croce: 2,7 km
Recommended period for the visit: throughout the year, especially in the spring and autumn
*-*-*-*-*
Situated in the communal territory of Battaglia Terme, the trail is in an area of naturalistic and panoramic value, among the most particular and richest of biodiversity in the Park; it crosses areas with agro-forestry protection but mostly areas of Natural Integral and Oriented Reserve.One can see the “Creste” of the Monti Croce, Spinefrasse and Ceva, where we can find the Habitat called “Grassy formations rupiculous and calciculous”, in the top part, closing the loop with trails accessing to the Ferro di Cavallo and to the Quarry of Monte Croce.Even if not reaching particular high altitudes– maximum 255 metres slm. of M. Ceva – the Sentiero delle Creste is an easy trail but challenging for the ups and downs; in the path on the peak of Monte Ceva one needs to be cautious, for the rocks. The vast landscapes of the Euganean hills and the valley allow a 360° view; at the beginning of the trail we can find the Quarry of Monte Croce, with its particular geological characteristics and the Castle of Catajo with its possessions.The geographical features of the trail is characterized by oak woods and other thermophilic essences where we can find Majestic exemplars of olive trees, signs of the past agricultural activity; a historical added value to the presence of ruins of the monastery of S. Maria delle Croci (XII century.). Continuing on a higher altitude the forest becomes poorer, with clearings getting always more bigger and where we can find the “Semprevivo ragnateloso” (Sempervivum arachnoideum) and the prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa). In the flat terrain there are areas where there is agricultural activity, in particular DOC vineyards, fields of soybean, corn and grain.
The quarry of Monte Croce is an important site for environmental recovery, realized after the closure of the extraction activity and for the great scientific value linked to the geological phenomena. In the complex quarry surface, full of depressions and hillocks made of filling material, it has become, with time a well diversified environment concerning vegetation and microclimatic situations. The pioneer plants have colonized the environment and in the most depressed point, during the rainy periods an interesting humid zone is present. Some curiosities concerning the environment are: the presence of rocky crags well-exposed to the sun in the southern part of Monte Croce and the prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa) originating from central America placed on volcanic rocks exposed to the sun also in the Euganean Hills.The quarry's wall is made of volcanic rock (latite); on the top, it is under sown to a semihorizontal layer of sedimentary rock (marl), not thick in height, but well distinct from the rest of the wall especially for its lighter colour. This layer has been in the past object of in-depth studies, since fossils of marine organisms were discovered 33 millions ago. By comparing the dating of other Euganean volcanic rocks, it was concluded that the eruptions of the cycle that brought to the creation of the Euganean hills was of the same age.
