Padule della Trappola, Protected wetland in Maremma Regional Park, Italy
Padule della Trappola is a protected wetland along Tuscany's coast covering around 500 hectares of salt marshes, freshwater lakes, and sandy dunes. The area forms part of the landscape around the mouth of the Ombrone River, where it meets the Tyrrhenian Sea.
The area was once part of a larger lake called Prile before eighteenth-century drainage projects by the House of Lorraine reshaped it. This transformation changed the landscape and eventually allowed new uses of the land to develop.
The tower and chapel that stand here are reminders of how people once lived and worked in this landscape. They show the connection between the settlement and the salt production that took place along these shores.
Visitors can walk on designated paths and watch birds from observation points, particularly along route P1 of Maremma Park. Information points and basic facilities are available to help you make the most of your visit.
This site hosts more than 150 waterbird species and is recognized by the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. The unusual plant Halocnemum strobilaceum thrives in the salty conditions here and is a rare sight in the region.
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