Valbrenta
Valbrenta is a municipality in the province of Vicenza created on 30 January 2019 through the merger of Campolongo sul Brenta, Cis...
Updated 12 July 2026 · Sources: https://www.grottedioliero.it/il-territorio/la-valbrenta/valstagna/ · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valbrenta · https://www.tuttitalia.it/veneto/16-valbrenta/
The story
The story of Valbrenta
A municipality formed from four villages
Valbrenta was created on 30 January 2019 from the merger of Campolongo sul Brenta, Cismon del Grappa, Valstagna and San Nazario, adjoining municipalities that all face onto the course of the Brenta river. The chosen name directly recalls the river running through the whole territory, a shared identity element for the four original communities, now hamlets of the new municipality with roughly 4,800 inhabitants in total.
The Canale di Brenta gorge
Valbrenta's territory occupies a stretch of the Canale di Brenta, the narrow valley carved by the river between the slopes of Monte Grappa and the Sette Comuni plateau. Sheer rock faces, woodland and small cultivated terraces create a striking landscape, crossed by trails and scenic roads linking the various villages. It has always been a natural corridor connecting the Vicenza plain with the Asiago plateau and the Valsugana.
The Oliero Caves
In the hamlet of Oliero lies one of the most important karst springs in Europe, the Grotte di Oliero, a tourist destination of national significance. Of the four main cavities, three can be visited: Grotta Parolini, also known as Covol dei Siori, partly explored by boat on an underground lake amid stalactites and stalagmites; Covolo degli Assassini, a dry cave with traces of prehistoric occupation; and Covolo delle Soree, another former spring outlet now dry.
Valstagna, timber and the Calà del Sasso
For centuries Valstagna was a major river port for the timber trade cut on the Asiago plateau, floated down the Brenta or carried along the Calà del Sasso, one of the longest stone stairways in Europe, its thousands of steps cut into the rock between the Foza plateau and the valley floor. Numerous timber merchants were based here, and this commercial vocation has left visible traces in the village's architecture.
Trails and nature between Monte Grappa and the plateau
Valbrenta's territory is a starting point for hikes toward Monte Grappa and the Sette Comuni plateau, with trails climbing from the valley floor up to the ridgelines. Woodland, gorges and small streams sustain a rich natural environment, appreciated both by hikers and by those seeking views over the Canale di Brenta from above.
Experiences not to miss
- Visitare la Grotta Parolini in barca sul lago sotterraneo delle Grotte di Oliero
- Visit Grotta Parolini by boat on the underground lake of the Oliero Caves
To see
What to see in Valbrenta
Routes · Trovido Route
