Ormanico Transacqua Loop and the Old Mines

This excursion is an easy and well-marked loop around the village of Transacqua, at the bottom of the Primiero Valley. Although it is a very short loop around the town, it still offers some beautiful views of nearby villages such as Fiera di Primiero, Transacqua, and Ormanico, as well as the Pale di San Martino and the Vette Feltrine.

<p>The Sentiero delle Càore (translation: Goats' path) was used in the past to take goats out of the city to graze in high-altitude fields during the summer season.</p> <p>The first part of the loop passes through Via delle Miniere. At the edge of the village of Transacqua it is still possible to see the last active mine of Primiero (Stol). During the 15th and 16th centuries, the valley's mineral resources - mainly iron and silver - were primarily used by Austrian families for commercial purposes.</p> <p>After being sold to the Welsperg family in 1572 AD, the Stol mine remained active until 1866 under the jurisdiction of the Austrian government. It was later used as a storage facility to keep fresh goods by a local bar (Bellavista) until the mid-last century.</p> <p>The two main entrances of the mine are still visible from the excursion, while continuing along the Sentiero delle Càore you can admire the shrine of Santa Barbara (protector of miners).</p>