Parco naturale delle Capanne di Marcarolo, Regional park in Province of Alessandria, Italy.
Parco Naturale delle Capanne di Marcarolo is a protected mountain area spanning roughly 8200 hectares across the Apennine range between Liguria and Piedmont. The landscape rises steeply with forests, meadows, and streams, with Monte Tobbio standing as the highest point where visitors can see across the region.
The park was established in 1979 to protect this mountain landscape and its natural features. In the late 1800s, artificial lakes were built in the area to supply water to the city of Genoa and generate electricity for the region.
The Ecomuseum at Cascina Moglioni tells the story of how people have lived and worked in these mountains for generations. You can see traditional crafts and local food production, including the famous Formaggette delle Capanne cheese made the old-fashioned way.
The park has a network of marked trails that wind through different elevations and suit various skill levels for walking and hiking. Two mountain huts provide shelter and overnight stays, making them good bases for exploring the area on foot.
The geological foundation beneath these mountains includes unusual rocks like peridotite and serpentinite, created when the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided millions of years ago. This rare stone composition makes the park interesting for anyone curious about how Earth's surface was shaped.
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