The hamlets of Barco and the Avisio stream.

The old rural houses of Barco di Sopra e di Sotto and the great floodplain of the Avisio River

The route takes us down below the village of Albiano, through the countryside to the charming hamlets of Barco di Sopra and di Sotto. Past the waterfall of the "Rio dei gamberi" we reach the ancient house from whose narrow portico once led into the small square of Barco di Sopra, framed by old buildings of porphyry and wood. Of these unfortunately only the buildings located to the south remain, the others having been destroyed by furious fires in the 1960s and 1970s. A little further down the valley one encounters the old schools that housed up to 50 pupils and the splendid little church dedicated to St. Romedio (18th century). Continuing downhill through the vineyards, you reach Barco di Sotto, a small and pretty village also devastated by a large fire caused by lightning in the 1950s. Rebuilt entirely, but then depopulated, it has become a lively residence of a few dozen people in recent years. Instead, our route follows a forest road that from Barco di Sopra descends into the woods with a few hairpin bends to a ruin, then by trail tracks to the tree-lined floodplain and a large sandy bend, one of the most beautiful on the Avisio. The floodplains are constantly changing microenvironments rich in biodiversity: they are home to many animal and plant species, including rare ones. The return to Albiano is by the same route.