Fontanazzo Biotope
The Fontanazzo Biotope, located on a site of over 50 hectares, lies in the Lower Valsugana valley.
Directions: take the Valsugana highway n° 47 as far as the Grigno exit; proceed for two kilometres to Grigno. Cross over the traffic lights, carry on for two hundred metres and then turn right towards Selva di Grigno. Follow the road for over two kilometres towards Selva. The Biotope is located on your right.
The Fontanazzo Biotope comprises meadows, farmland, a number of watercourses, strips of alluvial forest of Alder and Ash and stretches of riparian woodland. A large number of species of birds and mammals find refuge and food and breed in the dense vegetation. The watercourses and springs inside the Biotope contain highly valuable fish species such as bullhead (Cottus gobio), the extremely rare Lethenteron zanandreai and crayfish. One of the most interesting natural features of the Fontanazzo Biotope is its peculiar water flow network. The protected area in fact includes a number of important valley floor springs that communicate directly with the Karst landscape complex of the Grotte della Bigonda and Calgeron caves, located the right-hand side of the valley not far from the Biotope. The value of the area is enhanced by the fact that the River Brenta on this stretch flows along its own natural riverbed and is not restricted by artificial banks.