Velo Veronese: Rent a Holiday Apartment | Covoli and Monte Purga

Holiday apartment in Velo Veronese: Covoli and Monte Purga

Velo Veronese is considered a balcony overlooking the Veronese plain. The Covoli di Velo Veronese are classified as a protected nature area with regulated access within the Lessinia Regional Natural Park. The Covolo di Camposilvano is considered the largest karst cave in the Venetian Pre-Alps.

Karst caves, pastures and distinctive trails

The landscape can be explored along several routes. Trail No. 253, “La Via Cara”, follows the upper section of the Via Cara for much of its length. This ancient transhumance route once connected the plain with the pastures of the Conca dei Pàrpari. CAI Route No. 252, “Dorsale bassa della Lessinia”, leads from the Museo di Bolca via Velo Veronese towards Ponte di Veja and is approximately 37.4 kilometres long. It runs through forests, meadows and contrade from Bolca towards Peri; Velo Veronese lies along the route.

The Legend Run route starts in the square of Velo Veronese. It leads to the summit of Monte Purga and is fully signposted. Monte Purga also bears the remains of a prehistoric hill fort and a Roman fortification. Another perspective is offered by the MTB route “In mtb da Camposilvano alle steli di confine con il Regno del Tirolo”. It leads through the high pastures of Lessinia and to stone boundary markers between the former Republic of Venice and the Kingdom of Tyrol. Along the way, it passes through Velo Veronese, Roverè Veronese and Bosco Chiesanuova.

Geopaleontology and Cimbrian heritage

The Museo Geopaleontologico di Camposilvano features an exhibition of fossils from Lessinia and beyond. It traces the development of life through various geological eras and begins with an extensive ammonite collection. The exhibits also include the remains of marine reptiles, dinosaur tracks and the complete skeleton of a cave bear that stands more than three metres tall when upright. The Covolo di Camposilvano was already used as a refuge at least 50,000 to 70,000 years ago and also served as a natural storage place for food in Roman times. A stairway approximately 500 metres long begins at the museum and leads to the Covolo amphitheatre. From its viewing balcony, the cave entrance can be seen.

Velo Veronese was once the capital of the 13 Cimbrian municipalities. In Azzarino, a former Cimbrian municipality, the route “Velo Veronese – I tesori di Azzarino” leads through contrade, past stone markers, sundials and frescoes that preserve local stories. The local culture of remembrance also includes the Monumento ai Caduti di Velo Veronese, the memorial to those who fell in the First World War, and its inauguration on 18 June 1922. The Festa del Monte Purga is considered a traditional local festival. According to local tradition, the mushroom-shaped rock in the Valle delle Sfingi is associated with an ogre and the fairy beings known as “fade”.

Getting to the Museo Geopaleontologico di Camposilvano

The Museo Geopaleontologico di Camposilvano can be reached by car via Via Covolo; parking is available directly in front of it.

More destinations in the region

For further orientation, Villafranca Di Verona, Bevilacqua, Borghetto, Lugagnano, Ganfardine, Tacconi, Ferrara Di Monte Baldo and Brognoligo-Costalunga are among the other directly linked destinations.

For the overarching travel overview: Verona.