Are you looking for a fascinating place to take a walk amid nature, or to exercise in the open air? The Lagoni di Mercurago Park is just the place for you.
The Park
The Lagoni di Mercurago Nature Park is located not far from the centre of Arona, on one of the green hills surrounding Lake Maggiore.
The beautiful natural area, protected since 1980, covers 473 hectares and includes the Mercurago peat bogs, some pastures for breeding thoroughbred horses, and many wooded areas.
Horse riding, running, cycling and skating are some of the activities that can be enjoyed in the park.
The extensive network of trails allows the selection of the intensity and duration of the route according to individual needs and requirements.
The ‘wetlands’ trail
The wetlands are the ‘heart’ of the park from a naturalistic as well as geographical point of view. They are mainly formed by marshes and ponds originated from the melting of the glacier that gave the area its current geomorphological shape some 10,000 years ago.
The guides will help visitors recognise rare species of water and marsh flora, a large number of amphibians, and interesting aquatic fauna.
The wood trail
Three quarters of the park’s surface is covered by woods, where visitors can admire some typical wildlife of the area, including squirrels and small rodents, insectivores, hares, birds, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, and foxes.
The archeological trail
The itinerary leads to two necropolises: one at Motto Lagone, from the Golasecchian period (6th-5th century B.C.), with 10 chest tombs made of large stone slabs, the other at Motto Caneva, from the Roman period (2nd-5th century A.D.), with another 10 chest tombs made of different materials and realised with various techniques.
