The best MTB trails around Appiano Gentile

The Scientific Educational Center - Astronomical Observatory and Eco-Planetarium is located in Tradate, immersed in the protected forest of the Pineta Park of Appiano Gentile and Tradate. It is a facility dedicated to scientific dissemination, astronomy, and environmental protection.

must visit for hikers and bikers

The Magical Woods Trail hosts the works of Giancarlo Volontè; thanks to its evocative landscape, the route transports those who walk it into a fairy-tale world, full of surprises and discoveries at every step, to be experienced with lightheartedness and curiosity.

From "ateinsubriaolona.it": "The word magic evokes fairytale atmospheres, often immersed in a woodland setting, a place populated by fantastical inhabitants and guardian of fables and wonders. The Magic of the Woods trail is a short path that begins in front of one of the two entrances to the Scientific Education Center and hosts the wooden works of Giancarlo Volontè. It winds through a Scots pine forest, transporting those who walk it into a fairytale world, full of surprises and discoveries at every step, to be experienced with lightheartedness and curiosity. Along the trail, you'll encounter elves and spirits carved from wood, as well as giant-sized insects and other animals. Giancarlo Volontè is a skilled wood sculptor, a longtime friend of the Park, and an eclectic Volunteer Ecological Guard who works for the Protected Area. Like any artist, he is able to unleash the communicative power of materials, in this case wood, extracting for the eyes of all that magic guarded by the majestic inhabitants of the forest. Near the Scientific Education Center, completing the Magic of the Forest trail, you can walk the F.A.T.A. Trail, a short circular route complete with educational panels and installations on the solar system.

The Scientific Education Center The Scientific Education Center - EcoPlanetarium is the Visitor Center of the Appiano Gentile and Tradate Pineta Park. Opened in 2007, it welcomes thousands of visitors each year, including schools, summer camps, and families! Immersed in the park's woodland forest, the facility includes the astronomical complex with the main observatory, the Nature Trail with the orienteering gym and sensory strip, as well as the brand-new EcoPlanetarium. Numerous nature and astronomy experiences can be enjoyed, thanks also to the surrounding trails! On weekdays, the facility is dedicated to school visits. The Scientific Education Center, often hosting events for adults and children, is open to the public on Sunday afternoons and beyond! You can consult the calendar of events on this website and by following the respective Facebook pages (Pineta Park and Education Center) and Instagram.

If you pass by here you have to eat a bean salad to celebrate

very nice to walk around and admire the various wooden statues

Colle San Maffeo, with a fantastic view (the climb through the woods is very challenging in the first section due to the steepness and loose rocks, at least for those with a strong body)