Castana: Holiday Apartment, Valleys, Hiking Trails and History

Castana is located on Provincial Road No. 81 to Posina in the Val Posina. The road through the Val Posina runs alongside the stream and leads to the town center of Castana. At Castana, the road splits: to the left, it continues through the main valley of the Posina; to the right, the valley of the Zara stream opens toward Laghi. At Castana, the Dolomitic Monte Maio, which rises to 1,500 meters, separates the two branches of the Posina and Zara valleys. For those arriving by car, the road junction is a clear point of reference. Following the road, you first reach the center along the stream, where you are faced with a choice between the two valley directions. The town center is therefore where the road and hiking trails meet. Provincial Road No. 81 remains the shared axis of the route described before the two directions separate in the town.

Hiking between Contrade and Dry-Stone Walls

The path through the Valle dei Biasi leads from the town center of Castana to the abandoned Contrade Biasi di sotto and Biasi di sopra. At Contrada Pasqualetti, a paved path begins and climbs uphill toward the ridge of the Sogli Bianchi. On the circular trail in Val di Tovo, you will encounter World War I installations, abandoned Contrade, and steep rock faces. Old dry-stone walls in the forest of the Valle dei Biasi are reminders that meadows once existed there, later overgrown as vegetation spread. For a day of hiking, the types of paths are clearly distinct: at Pasqualetti, the paved section climbs uphill to the Sogli Bianchi ridge, while the circular trail in Val di Tovo connects historical installations, abandoned Contrade, and steep rock faces along its own route. In the Valle dei Biasi, the town center, forest, dry-stone walls, and former meadows lie along the path to the two Biasi Contrade.

San Pietro Apostolo and the History of Castana

The Church of San Pietro Apostolo in Castana is dedicated to the Apostle Peter. The residents of Castana and Tovo received permission to build the church on December 29, 1797. It was solemnly blessed on November 22, 1803. The parish of San Pietro Apostolo in Castana was established by episcopal decree dated February 18, 1957. The feast day of San Pietro in Castana is celebrated on June 29. In Castana, San Pietro Apostolo refers both to the church and to the parish established in 1957.

Castana as a Place Shaped by History

Castana was a front-line area during World War I. During the Strafexpedition in May 1916, Castana was occupied by the Austro-Hungarian army for about forty days. After World War I, the Church of San Pietro Apostolo in Castana was filled with war materiel, including bombs, mortar shells, gelignite, cartridges, and projectiles of all calibers. The church may have provided shelter for columns of mules during nighttime military movements. The occupation in May 1916 belongs to the wartime period; the church was not filled with the material until after World War I.

More Places for Your Travel Planning

Other places you can consider for your travel planning include Vulcano, San Germano Dei Berici, Agugliaro, Valstagna, Sovizzo, Lonigo, Castegnero and Lovara.

Go to the main travel overview: Vicenza.