dovecote park

The Colombare Park is a vast protected natural area of about 60 hectares located on the eastern hills of Verona, between the Castel San Pietro and San Michele Extra districts. The park takes its name from the ancient colombare (dovecote towers) that Veronese farmers built to raise pigeons, some of which are still visible among the vegetation. This green lung represents one of the most important peri-urban natural spaces of Verona, preserving typical pre-Alpine hill habitats.

The park's territory is characterised by mixed woods of downy oak, hop hornbeam, manna ash and maples, Mediterranean scrub with holm oaks, strawberry trees and mastic, dry grasslands with grasses and wild orchids, and terraced olive groves that bear witness to the ancient agricultural vocation of the Veronese hills. A dense network of hiking trails winds for about 15 kilometres through different natural environments, connecting spectacular panoramic points from which to admire Verona, the Adige, the Valpolicella hills and the Venetian Pre-Alps. The park is hugely popular with sports enthusiasts and families: runners cover the trails for training, mountain bikers tackle the technical hill routes, hikers enjoy nature and views, and families with children explore the woods looking for wildlife (squirrels, jays, woodpeckers, daytime raptors).

Equipped areas with picnic tables, drinking fountains and panoramic benches invite relaxing breaks. During spring and summer the park fills with colourful blooms and Mediterranean scents.

The natural habitats and flora fauna biodiversity of the Veronese hills.

The Colombare Park preserves a mosaic of natural habitats typical of the calcareous pre-Alpine hills: thermophilic woods of downy oak and hop hornbeam on the cooler slopes, Mediterranean scrub with evergreen holm oaks, strawberry trees and phyllirea on south-facing slopes, dry xeric grasslands with grasses, thyme, helichrysum and wild orchids. The historic terraced olive groves bear witness to centuries of traditional agricultural cultivation on the Veronese hills. The fauna includes mammals such as foxes, badgers, hedgehogs, squirrels and dormice, sedentary birds such as great tits, blackbirds, great spotted woodpeckers and jays, daytime raptors such as buzzards and kestrels that fly over the hills, and a rich community of invertebrates including butterflies, wild bees and beetles.

Spring is the best season to observe biodiversity: wild orchids bloom on the meadows, migratory birds stop in the woods, lizards and frogs warm themselves in the sun. Educational panels along the trails illustrate the flora, fauna and ecosystems of the park.

The park offers over 15 kilometres of hiking trails marked with varying difficulty: easy routes suitable for families with children winding through flat woods, intermediate itineraries with moderate climbs to panoramic points, and demanding tracks for experienced hikers that cross the entire protected area. The trails are marked with signposts, progressive numbers and coloured trail markers. Mountain bikers appreciate the technical routes with steep climbs, narrow single-tracks in the woods, adrenaline-fuelled descents and natural obstacles that test skill and endurance.

The city has created MTB-dedicated routes separated from pedestrian trails to ensure safety. The panoramic points along the routes offer spectacular views: from the Colombare Belvedere you can admire Verona from the Arena to the Duomo with the Adige winding through, from the panoramic terraces you can see the Valpolicella hills with vineyards and Venetian villas, and on clear days you can glimpse the snowy Lessini Pre-Alps.

The Colombare Park hosts numerous recreational and sporting activities: trail running with running races on hill trails, guided trekking with naturalist guides who illustrate flora and fauna, orienteering for schools and groups with equipped educational courses, nordic walking on the panoramic trails, and birdwatching in the wooded areas frequented by raptors and passerines. The equipped picnic areas are perfect for outdoor lunches among Veronese families. During the year the park hosts cultural events organised by the city and local associations: "Spring in the Park" with botanical guided tours and nature workshops for children, classical music and jazz concerts on the panoramic meadows at sunset, presentations of books on nature and the environment, naturalistic photography exhibitions and voluntary collective clean-ups to keep the park clean.

The Colombare Park represents for the Veronese an oasis of nature and tranquillity just minutes from the city centre, where one can regenerate immersed in the green of the hills that embrace the city.