Brentino - Madonna della Corona - Vajo dell'orsa
Starting point Brentino, beginning of path n. 73, 195 m
Ending point Brentino, loc. Molino, 270 m
Difficulty E
Distance 6851m
Average slope 14%
Maximum slope 45%
Uphill \ descent difference in height 824m\-895mm
Altitude min 196m
max 714m
Terrain types Path
Non gettare rifiuti
Non raccogliere fiori
Scorta d'acqua e di cibo
Scarpe specifiche
Non uscire dai sentieri segnalati
Tratti esposti
Fondo scivoloso
Percorsi\passaggi impegnativi
Perched as it is among the rocks, the sanctuary is one of the most daring in Italy and its access is one of the most beautiful and popular excursions in the Verona area. The interest in a place of strong devotion is combined with an excursion of great scenic charm among the imposing rocky gorges of the Val delle Pissotte.
The route is called the Ancient Pilgrim’s Path with its 1740 steps and can only be covered on foot; partly excavated on the ridge of Monte Cimo, it is a demanding route, with a difference in height of 600 meters that can be covered in two hours. More than a staircase it is a mixed uphill path.
The route begins with the classic access route to the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Corona from the Val d’Adige (path no. 73, Path of the pilgrims) from the center of Brentino. A paved staircase starts from the village and enters the woods and turns into a path with several bends. You enter the Vajo del Santuario and a staircase carved into the rock with a hairpin bend in a cave arrives under the church, on the opposite side of the valley on a panoramic terrace.
Continue uphill alternating steps and paths; at the end of 73 you arrive at the Sanctuary, crossing a seventeenth-century bridge which takes the name of Ponte del Tiglio, from a tree grown across the valley that allowed you to climb over the ravine. After the bridge, proceed to the Sanctuary by a staircase entirely carved into the rock.
Before arriving, there is a crossroads for path no. 75, which represents the most direct connection between Ferrara di Monte Baldo and Brentino; it was once frequented by the inhabitants of Ferrara di Monte Baldo to reach the railway station of Peri in the Adige valley in the shortest way. It fell into disuse after the war for the development of the engine and was restored at the end of the 1980s.
Follow the track of 75 which, with a series of ups and downs and crossings of valleys, offers splendid views of the Vajo dell’Orsa; in the most exposed areas there are sections equipped with metal cords.
The upper part of the route ends with the crossing of the Tibetan bridge over the Vajo dell’Orsa.
Go up briefly towards Malga Orsa and shortly before you arrive at the crossroads with path no. 674 which we will use for the descent along the left orographic side of the Val delle Pissotte.
At the first part, almost flat, through the meadow clearing of Malga Orsa and with beautiful views of the sanctuary of the Madonna della Corona, there is a steep and constant descent to the road that leads to Pian di Festa and here, after having crossed the Vajo again, we find ourselves in Brentino.
This path can also be followed in the opposite direction, i.e. going up from path no. 674 and going down from n. 73.
