Want to relax in the city while strolling through green spaces? You’re in the right place!
With its great parks, hills full of scenic trails, and the legendary Mount Maddalena, Brescia is the perfect destination for wandering in nature with your family and practicing sports and hiking away from traffic and heat. Discover with us the green oases in Brescia that you absolutely must not miss!
Castello di Brescia
We start our tour from the Castello di Brescia [Brescia castle], one of the largest and best preserved fortresses in Italy!
Always open during the day, in addition to being a place rich in history (its origins date back to Medieval times!) the ‘Falcon of Italy’ offers many itineraries both inside and outside the walls, for a relaxing walkor to warm up with a run.
Beyond the entrance gate you will find yourself immersed in an atmosphere of yesteryear, with keep, ramparts, ramps, drawbridges and moats, as well as large gardens and towers, privileged observation points for marvelous views of the city and the surrounding area.
Outside the castle, a number of paths and dirt tracks in a wooded setting lead us to discover the Cidneo hill until we come across the characteristic alleys that connect us to the old town center in a few minutes.
Monte Maddalena
From the towers of the castle the gaze turns toward Mount Maddalena, ‘the mountain of Brescian people’!
Extending east to the hamlet of Sant’Eufemia della Fonte and west to Sant’Anna hill, it is a true concentration of vegetation. The most common trees include: chestnut trees, hazelnut trees, rowan trees, and conifers; the southern slope is home to a wide variety of flowers including daffodils, bastad balms, irises, red lilies, and rare species such as ‘campanula elatinoides’ and ‘Aphillantes Monspelliensis’.
The headland is also a paradise for mushroom hunters: in fact, fine qualities such as Caesar’s amanita, porcini and chanterelles are found here. From the faunapoint of view, owls, crows, blackbirds, fieldfares, chaffinches, nightingales, robins, wrens and house sparrows find a home on Mount Maddalena.
In addition to the only access by car, which is via Panoramica, the top of the mountain can be reached by taking different trails; some of them are gentle and offer an enchanting view (trails 6 and 7), while others are wilder and more impervious (trails 1 and 2).
Interestingly, until 1966 the town and the summit of Mount Maddalena were connected by a cable car; the old station can still be seen near the pizzeria of the same name with access from Viale della Bornata.
Parco delle Colline
Is taking a break in the open air an essential part of your well-being? Come and discover the Parco delle Colline, the city’s largest green lung!
With dozens of trails for all training levels scattered across 4,000 hectares and a rich and varied setting, Parco delle Colline [hill park] is today a source of pride for our territory: it is in fact recognized as one of the biggest ecosystems of European interest!
Accessing the park is easy, as its boundaries range from the city to the hilly areas of Bovezzo, Cellatica, Collebeato, Rezzato, and Rodengo Saiano. On the route you will find many playgrounds and unmissable rest stops. You might be interested in:
Parco Ducos
Friendly animals, tiny lakes, small bridges, flat pathways: walking in Ducos Park is a real pleasure!
Located near the city center and with access from both Viale Piave and Via Francesco Lonati, Parco Ducos is the ideal place to relax in nature and shelter from the summer heat for hundreds of Brescians. It has cafes, public services, attractions for the little ones, and convenient parking. All that’s left is to take a tour!
Cave Park
A magnificent example of nature returning to the center of human experience. Parco delle Cave [quarry park], until a few years ago a territory of excavation, has become the largest urban mitigation park in Europe. One of the most ambitious green projects in today’s Brescia, it has given back to the citizens lakes and territories that were previously the center of intense mining activity.
The result, which is constantly evolving, is an exceptional natural heritage that provides a privileged setting for over 15 km of bike and pedestrian trails, bird watching points, and opportunities for water sports such as canoeing and kayaking.
The park is located in the southeast area of Brescia, in the areas of Buffalora, Bettole, Sanpolino, San Polo Case, and San Polo, and can be reached by car, on foot, and by bicycle. There are several access routes, indicated by appropriate signage.
AmbienteParco
Let’s return to the city center, where a stone’s throw from Piazzale Arnaldo, against the striking backdrop of the historic walls, is the public green area called Parco dell’Acqua [water park]. Inside the park is AmbienteParco, a scientific center of excellence and a place of research, knowledge and education; a reference point for children, families, scholars and all those who wish to get closer to the themes of nature and sustainability.
The center offers intensive educational activities and interactive programs for schools, and has exhibition pavilions, an auditorium, a free-access green area equipped with games, and the children’s favorite attraction: the bio-pond with underwater tunnel to admire fish and underwater life! A cafeteria and restaurant are available for an afternoon of leisure.
For more information, visit the official website of AmbienteParco.
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