A short and interesting walk to learn about the different faces of the Mediterranean forest, of which an unusual concentration of tree and shrub species can be found here.
After having skirted a grove of small cork trees which have now gone wild on one side, and a very tidy new grove of fruit trees, vines and olive trees, the route goes up through an ancient olive grove, now abandoned and invaded by cistus, a semi-open environment perfect for the sighting of deer. This leads to the wall that once separated the cultivated fields from the woods of the Tenuta dell'Alberese hunting reserve.
The first type of forest you encounter is that of the valley floor, with deep, fertile and humid soil, which allows the growth of large oaks, not only holm oaks but also essences of less dry environments such as turkey oaks, ash ash and downy oaks, as well as other species typically Mediterranean such as cork oaks and terebinths.
Soon, however, the path begins to climb onto shallower limestone soil, where the forest is now dominated by holm oak, a tree which here, as along all the Mediterranean coasts, has been periodically cut down since time immemorial for the wood with which to make charcoal. Here, however, the holm oak forest has been thinned out to make it a tall forest, and one day it will return to resembling the primeval Mediterranean forest. The climb is rather steep but short, and the higher you go, the younger and lower the holm oaks are, and still governed by coppice.
Having reached a beautiful example of red juniper, the path begins to descend along a rather steep descent, but this too is very short.
Ticket Cost
- Adults: € 5.00
- Reduced: € 2.00 (children from 6 to 14 years, groups min. 20 people*, students up to 25 years of age)
- Reservation and guide service are mandatory for groups of 20 or more
The route can be purchased either online (at least 24 hours before the planned excursion) or at the Alberese visitor centre.
