COUNTRIES PLIOCENICO NATURE RESERVE – distance 12 km
It rises in the high Bolognese hills between the municipalities of Sasso Marconi, Monzuno and Pianoro, protects a very unique and majestic alignment of arenaceous walls that rises, for about fifteen kilometers, across the valleys of Reno, Setta, Zena and Idice, culminating in the reliefs of Monte Adone, the Rocca di Badolo and Monte Rosso. In the Setta Valley, the reserve faces the northernmost sector of the Monte Sole historical park. In the area of the Pliocene Buttress, the first traces of permanent settlements, dating back to the Bronze Age, have been found in Monte Adone. There are also several finds from the Villanovan and Etruscan periods. In Roman times, the area was affected by the route of the Augustan aqueduct that led the Setta waters to Bologna, through the excavation of a narrow tunnel about 20 km long. Traveling along its paths on foot or on a mountain bike is a unique experience.
