Easy walk almost flat, without any difficulties and ideal for families with children and trekking stroller. Not far from the village it offers interesting nature points, with a beautiful view of Mount Pelmo.
At Pecol, from the Crèp cable car’s large car park head south, passing below the garage and the warehouses of the Valzoldana chairlifts (Società Seggiovie Valzoldana) where a wide path sets off to meet up with the Schirata forestry road, which descends towards the Maè stream and follows it on its orographic right side (take care at the junction to keep left heading towards the valley bottom and do not climb up along path number 585).
Once you reach the beautiful old houses and hay loft of De la de l’Aiva, which you pass on the right (the road on the left leads back to the centre of Maresòn, 1.334m, where the beautiful onion-shaped bell tower of St. Valentine’s church stands out), continue along the trail till you reach Palma (1.300m, roughly 30 minutes). From here you will find a restaurant pizzeria, and in the wide grassy hollow, beside the Ski Civetta ski lift you will find some games set up for children, and the little farm of Zoldo mountains.
To return to Pecol follow for a short way the road which leads to Pianaz, road no. 251. Shortly after the bridge which crosses the Maè torrent turn left along the path which runs along the orographic left hand side of the torrent and which goes around the village of Mareson.
Continue along the dirt road and then along the state road till you reach la Grava, where you will find an old disused saw mill and an old restructured oven where once the lime was burned and used to build the houses of Mareson and Pècol.
Turning towards the left, west, cross Rio Canèdo and the Maè torrent and take the path which climbs up to the square around the cable car (1h and 15 mins).
Mareson church of Saint Valentine
The church of Saint Valentine is on the main street of Maresòn, easily identified from a distance by its characteristic bell tower, built in 1765, with an onion-shaped dome (unusual in Val di Zoldo) which indicates the influence of the architect Juvarra, who is also responsible for the bell tower of the cathedral in Belluno. The parish church was consecrated in the 15th century on top of a previous chapel dedicated possibly to Saint Christopher. The inside has one main nave with the vault partially decorated in tempera; the two side chapels are dedicated to Saint Andrew and the Holy Cross; the latter has a wooden altar by the famous artist Andrea Brustolon.
Pelmo’s landslide
It has been geologically proved that on the plains where Pécol and Maresòn rise there used to be an ancient lake filled up with debris which was formed after a landslide came down Mount Pelmo, now covered with vegetation and a multitude of enormous boulders (Sass del segnàl, Pièra del bosch, etc). The fascinating legend narrates how the landslide came about: once upon a time the Pelf (that is what it was called) was covered with vegetation, with meadows and mountain huts in the glacial cirque. But after suffering a wrong doing he shook off his green cloak, and threw it down to the bottom of the valley where it blocked the course of the Maè torrent thus forming a lake.
[contents: Unione montana Longaronese Cadore Zoldo]
