The Emperor's Path

Villa Bortolazzi is the starting point of the Emperor’s Path. Starting from the farmhouse in front of Villa Bortolazzi in Acquaviva of Trento (190m), turn up the fan planted with vines up to the top, where there is the SAT signal that directs right into a pinewood. The trail goes south. Constant throughout the initial part of the path is the view of Aldeno on the opposite side of the valley. In the central part the rears climb, and then reaches a kind of amphitheater area, dominated by the reddish color rocks. It then goes on to touch the collecting forest clearing on the foot of Dosso of Vignai and the terracing Scanuppia: it verges first a water bath, you will see the first houses and finally you will touch the cemented road which goes up from Besenello. After walking a few hundred meters you will reach the middle of this route, the Holy Trinity church (840m) from where you can dominate the flat grasslands of Besenello and Calliano. Spectacular, on the left side of the churches, the chasm there looms over Rio Secco.

For the return you’ll make retracing in reverse the entire route or, as a variant descent, following the fast of Val Vignai, going to fall on the Brenner highway at the ex-factory Cemea (old Post). The latter variant, as hasty and interesting, however, involves the recovery of the car parked in Acquaviva.