Riserva naturale del Bosco del Vaj, Regional nature reserve in Castagneto Po, Italy.
The Riserva naturale del Bosco del Vaj is a protected forest area in the Piedmont hills featuring beech, oak, and chestnut woodlands. The reserve contains multiple woodland types that together form a diverse ecosystem across rolling terrain.
The reserve was established in 1978 to protect rare beech forests that are relics from the ice age. These woodlands survived extreme climate conditions and remain today as evidence of that ancient period.
The woods hold meaning for local people who have long valued this landscape and passed down knowledge about its natural world. Visitors come to reconnect with nature and experience how seasons change across the hillsides.
Multiple marked trails run through the reserve and allow visitors different levels of forest exploration. The best time to visit is spring and autumn when weather is mild and paths are easy to walk.
The reserve is home to several rare orchid species and turk's cap lilies, plants that normally do not occur in this region. Foxes, badgers, and a wide variety of bird species find safe habitat here far from human settlements.
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