Monte Alpe: free excursions in the Nature Reserve

ERSAF (Regional Agency for Agriculture and Forestry Services of Regione Lombardia) and the Associazione Volo di Rondine are offering guided visits to the Monte Alpe nature reserve in the Oltrepò Pavese: nine dates scheduled starting Sunday, 9 August 2026.

Located in the municipality of Menconico and owned by ERSAF – Regione Lombardia, the reserve has for years been a Site of Community Importance (SCI), one of three in the Oltrepò Pavese, together with Pietra Corva-Sassi Neri and Le Torraie-Lesima.

Monte Alpe, in the Menconico area (province of Pavia), is a protected area home to as many as three priority habitats – territories and ecosystems that EU directives consider threatened and therefore in need of safeguarding – and covers more than 300 hectares. It's no surprise, then, that Monte Alpe boasts remarkable biodiversity, with a significant presence of animal and plant species populating a wide variety of environments.

A perfect place to discover different tree species and spot butterflies, birds and roe deer, cooled by the shade of the woods at over 1,000 metres above sea level.

Inside the Monte Alpe Nature Reserve there are numerous trails, always accessible, crossing several natural environments: the beech wood, the pine forest, the pasture meadows with rich summer blooms, the wetland, and the oak grove.

ERSAF is organising FREE GUIDED VISITS on the Sundays of 9-16-23-30 August 2026

• Morning excursion: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
• Afternoon excursion: 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm

These are excursions of about 2 to 2.5 hours, allowing visitors to cross the various environments and observe the distinctive features of the local flora and fauna, accompanied by naturalists from the Volo di Rondine association. The routes are approximately 3 or 5 km long, on easy trails. Hiking boots or trainers with non-slip soles are required, along with clothing suitable for a mountain area at an altitude of around 1,000 metres.

Participation is free. BOOKING REQUIRED (the number of participants is limited) at info@volodirondine.com or by WhatsApp message to 339 451 8087.

Photo - Marco Ciccolella