WE ARE

If you have a guide, you can explore the Ticino Valley Park and its forest safely.

We want you to discover the natural beauty of this biosphere reserve through guided tours in the protected naturalistic areas.

Day or night excursions in the nature reserve to observe the wildlife, birdwatching, family walks. Big choice of workshops, learning activities, school outings and gaining knowledge about naturalistic surroundings.

My name is Antonella Ghirardini and I’m a Nature Guide in the Ticino Valley Park. I promote environmental education through workshops for children which are closely connected to nature and the exploration of the environment . They can take place both in the open air and in schools.

I am an qualified guide for Forest Bathing.

I will take you on a journey to discover the Ticino Valley Park not far from Milan

THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS TERRITORY

The Ticino Valley Park is just outside Milan and covers an area of 91,600 hectares along the river which flows between Piedmont and Lombardy. It includes 47 towns in the provinces of Varese, Milan and Pavia. The Lombardy area of the park is one of the main European river parks and has been recognised as a MAB UNESCO area and reconfirmed in 2014.

The territory can be divided into 4 principal areas. In the north there is a morainic amphitheatre full of pine trees (Province of Varese), the moors on the dry plateau area stretching from the hills to the Villoresi canal, the irrigated plain in the southern area of Turbigo with its many ditches and canals and finally the real heart of the park – the river valley itself where you can find the more characteristic aquatic vegetation. In the southern area there are still traces of the of the forest on the mesophyte plain .

FOR YOUR EXCURSIONS

The area is particularly interesting for its easy naturalistic trails near Milan and was even awarded an international recognition as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2002. It is an authentic treasure of biodiversity: 562 species of superior plants, 371 vertebrates and other native species which can only be found in that area.

Taril E/1 Via Francigena

Via Francisca Lucomagno

Naviglio Grande and the canal network

700 km of naturalistic trails

122 km of cycle paths

The area is well-known for fishing and canoe and kayak sports, for its country restaurants, stables, trails and excursions. It’s a fantastic location for birdwatching and wildlife observation. It’s the best place for excursions near Milan. The paths are not steep and the area is so vast you can see an enormous variety of naturalistic environments.
The Ticino Valley is the most important ecological corridor across the Padana Plain that connects the Alps and the Apennine Mountain ranges. An essential link between Southern Europe and Africa.
It is the most important naturalistic area in the whole of the Padana Plain and contains a collection of naturalistic ecosystems typical of large rivers.

Lowland forests

System of watercourses

Riparian environments and wetlands

So, for your walks just outside Milan we have about 100 km of watercourses, with small lakes and marshes, which run through tree covered plains, moors and cultivated fields.