The Excalibur Trail

A little piece of paradise...good thing the trail is looped!

Drive to the trailhead, where a small parking lot and a refreshment station are a convenient landing place. Just getting out of the car is enough to feel the fresh air on your skin. Then the gaze moves to the meadow where the path begins: a space that, accomplice to the soft grass, the benches and a few barbecue stations, invites us to stop and enjoy a restful day. But we can pass over quietly going to the left: the Excalibur Trail is a 2.5-kilometer loop trail. At the end of the walk we will come out under the trees that are now just behind us, and then yes we will be ready to enjoy this little piece of paradise!

The Old Beech

A mountain trail but perfect for beginners

There are so many wonderful aspects of the Excalibur Trail. Perhaps my favorite is the incredible fusion of high mountain beauty with the ease of the walk, so much so that it is perfect for even young children, as long as they can walk independently, and to people who are decidedly untrained. In fact, the route is almost always flat. Only in the last stretch will there be an ascent, but neither too intense nor too long: just take a breath, at the limit a small break in the middle, and in no time at all, you will find yourself at the top.

Unlike many very easy trails, however, the Excalibur Trail is not "combed," as I say, that is, made of beaten earth or, even worse, covered with gravel so that it resembles a country lane. The ground on which you walk is authentic and varied: covered with grass at first, made of dirt, dry leaves and stones in the undergrowth, interrupted by roots and rocks. In short, it is an "uncomfortable" bottom (and I say that as a compliment), the kind that teaches you to pay attention to where you put your feet in order to find a good footing and not stumble. A real gym for young and old to learn how to walk in nature.

Inside the Trench

A path between history and fantasy

Along the path there are some signs explaining the history of the place. You will then discover the history of the Great Beech and the puddle at its foot, the vicissitudes of the districts you meet along the way, and you will also take a plunge into History, that of the First World War. Toward the middle of the trail you can also take a small detour to a military fort: sharpening your eyesight you will notice it already from the path, it looks like a rock formation amidst the trees. Climbing to the top of it or going inside will be an unforgettable adventure to understand at least a little bit how the soldiers of the Great War lived. A little further on, a section of trench is also preserved , another opportunity to physically enter history.

Between the blockhouse and the trench is you. Especially the little ones will have been looking for her all along the way, and now she is here, in front of them, ready to meet their challenge. Embedded in a rock is Excalibur: please, would-be kings and queens, step forward.