The naturalistic complex of the Oliero Caves in Valstagna is once again open to visitors. Concluding 2023 with 45,000 visitors including families, school groups, and foreign tourists, the karst cavities of Valbrenta, among the largest in Europe, reopened last Sunday for a new season. During spring, the caves will be open on weekends and holidays, while throughout the summer, they will be open every day except Mondays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Four explorable cavities
Currently, there are four explorable cavities forming the Valstagna naturalistic park, two lower ones occupied by the waters of the Oliero river (Covol dei Veci and Covol dei Siori) and two upper ones (Covol dei Assasini and Covol dei Soree), ancient outlets of the same springs that are now dry. These caves are the first encountered after ascending a path inside the park from the entrance, leading to the heart of the mountain, where one can admire towering rocky walls covered in rock flora, with the Rock Raponzolo standing out for its beauty. From there, visitors descend towards the entrance of Covol dei Siori, better known as "Grotta Parolini" after the famous botanist Alberto Parolini, who explored it in 1822 and made it accessible to the public in 1832.
The boat
Here, visitors continue their exploration by boat with a naturalistic-environmental guide. Inside, one can observe stalactites and stalagmites of remarkable dimensions, leading to the Colata Hall, where a gigantic cascade of alabaster stalactites, 14 meters high, is admirable, intertwining in a unique interplay of shapes and colors. Its clear waters host a rare living fossil, the Proteus, a troglobitic amphibian once only present in the caves of the Trieste and Slovenian Karst, which Parolini introduced to Oliero to verify if it could adapt and thrive, as it did.
How to visit the caves
The caves were first explored in the 1500s, although archaeological evidence suggests human presence inside them since prehistory, always attracting the curiosity of geologists, speleologists, or ordinary visitors for their unique rock formations. The ticket price is 12 euros for adults and 10 euros for reduced admission, which includes a visit to the naturalistic park, the speleology and karst museum "Alberto Parolini," the Paper Mills museum, all within the same complex, and the Canal di Brenta ethnographic museum located in Valstagna, a couple of kilometers away.
Refreshment points
Within the park, there are also refreshment points and a parking area with charging stations for bicycles and electric cars. The surrounding area also offers a wide range of outdoor activities, from hiking to trekking, from rafting on the river to the Brenta cycle path, allowing visitors to feel perfectly connected with nature. The Oliero Caves are easily accessible by taking the provincial road 73 Campese from Bassano towards Trento.