The best walks and hikes around Fara Vicentino

L'Oasi Selgea, protected and hidden at 360° by trees, is a little-known corner of unspoiled nature. It is located near the course of the Astico stream, divided between the borders of the municipalities of Zugliano, Lugo, and Fara. Originally, the Selgea company's gravel quarry stood here. With the epic flood of 1966, the Astico overflowed its banks and its waters flowed into the curve of the excavation. At the conclusion of the extraction activity in 1979, the area was supposed to be reclaimed and returned to agricultural use; but the aquifers re-emerged and permanently filled the basin: this spontaneous reclaiming by nature gave rise to a unique habitat, a haven of peace that hosts floral and faunal biodiversity, including a very numerous colony of herons! https://visitpedemontana.com/2025/06/25/oasi-selgea-il-miracolo-verde-nato-da-una-cava/

A beautiful villa and a very rewarding visit, which requires at least 2 hours if done properly: via QR code you can listen to the audio guide that illustrates the various spaces in a concise but interesting and engaging way. Villa Godi is the first villa designed by Andrea Palladio in 1537, and built between 1538 and 1542 on the hill of Lonedo in Lugo di Vicenza: the architect, although he had not yet defined his classical style principles, conceived this beautiful residence by combining sober elegance with the functionality of daily life. Over the centuries, the villa was owned by various families, hence the compound name: the Godi who commissioned it, the Piovene and the Valmarana; in 1962 it was purchased in a state of decay by the Milanese Malinverni family, who restored it and whose descendants live there today. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. The complex includes richly frescoed rooms, with original furnishings from the 17th and 18th centuries, the 16th-century large kitchen, the magnificent English and Italian gardens, the hanging garden, the secret garden, the barchessa (which houses the excellent Torchio Antico restaurant), the dovecote, the lemon house, and the romantic 19th-century park with centuries-old trees. Also present and included in the entrance ticket are two small museums: the notable fossil museum, with a majestic, fully and perfectly preserved palm specimen, which at 9 meters is the largest in Europe; the museum on the First World War, focused on the English command that was hosted by the villa in 1918 to coordinate Anglo-Saxon troops on the Asiago Plateau. Info: https://www.villagodi.com

Villa Piovene (1541) stands just above the contemporary and more renowned Villa Godi (1540), on the same hill of Lonedo... and it's no coincidence! It was indeed commissioned by the Piovenes in open and declared competition with the Godi residence: the two noble families from Vicenza, at the time the most important in the area, were in continuous and increasingly bitter rivalry to divide the large estates of the district. With evident Palladian inspiration, it dominates the hill with its elegance and symmetry: a scenic front staircase, framed by statues and an Italian garden arranged on four terraces, descends from the villa to the sumptuous eighteenth-century wrought iron gate. Villa Piovene Porto Godi (this is the full name) is open in the afternoon from March to September, for a fee (4.5€): the interiors are off-limits as it is a private residence, but you can visit the front garden with its beautiful staircase, the chapel, and the large, silent park with centuries-old trees. https://villapiovene.weebly.com https://loveneto.wordpress.com/2016/11/15/un-cancello-su-lugo/

To descend to the base of the waterfall, there is a track on the right bank.

...Once I reached the summit, I didn't feel the urge to take a picture. I just looked. The light was veiled, fragile, accompanied by a light haze that seemed to protect the landscape rather than hide it. In that moment, I realized that photography wasn't the goal, but a pretext. The SLR followed my movements almost automatically, while I tried to recognize what, inside, was responding to that place...

attention very slippery

chestnut trees in the area

The charm of abandoned and dilapidated houses: what always leaves me amazed is that in a not too distant time there was fervent human activity in the middle of the woods!