Seren del Grappa: Culture, Mountain Landscapes and Trails

Seren del Grappa offers two clearly distinct areas to focus on when planning your trip: cultural history, with its museum, church and Fojaroi, and the trails and landscapes of the Valle di Seren and Monte Grappa. The specific differences between walks, circular routes and historic sites can help you plan your stay around your interests and the time you have available.

Cultural history and rural heritage

The Museo Fotografico della Grande Guerra “Eugenio Secco” features 170 reproductions of historic photographs. They document events from the First World War in the Feltrino and the Massiccio del Grappa. To visit the museum, contact the municipal library in the same building. The library is open on Wednesdays from 09:00 to 12:00 and on Fridays from 14:00 to 18:00.

The Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena also preserves an artwork with a clearly established date: the high altar features an altarpiece painted in 1504 by Jacopo da Valenza. The artist was active from 1485 to 1509. The oil painting on canvas depicts the Madonna and Child, along with Saints John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene; the frame is made of carved, gilded wood.

Fojaroi built at higher elevations served as summer dwellings, shelters for shepherds and animals, and places for making cheese. Only a few remain in the Valle di Seren on the northern side of the Massiccio del Grappa, and some of them can be visited. A dedicated museum in Borgo Sagrilot explores haymaking, livestock stabling and wine production. You can encounter different aspects of rural life in both historic buildings and a themed collection.

The transformation from Zern to Col dei Bof can also be read as a possible clue to the history of settlement: it may point to the development of a settlement originally used seasonally at a higher elevation into a permanent residential center focused on dairy cows and dairy farming. There is also a cross on the summit of nearby Monte Pertica, commemorating the victims of the conflict.

Trails in the Valle di Seren and on Monte Grappa

The Valle di Seren is a starting point for walks and excursions. The Alta Via 8, also known as the Alta Via degli Eroi, runs along the ridgelines around the valley. Above Seren del Grappa is the spring known as Acqua della Salute, fed by the Valscura and Peùrna springs. Several trails start from the parking area by the spring, including the climb to Cima Sassumà.

For a circular hike with a well-defined estimated duration, consider the Anello M.te Salarol – da Valpore: it starts and ends at the parking area near Aula Verde Valpore. Allow around four hours; the actual duration may vary depending on conditions. The trail partly follows the Alta Via degli Eroi. Along the way, you can choose between old First World War trenches and an easier trail below the ridge. This means you can take different routes on the same circular hike.

The Sentiero Bosco degli Eroi brings together physical traces, sculptures, poems, artworks and stories about the First World War. From Seren del Grappa, access is via the road to Cima Grappa; near Albergo Forcelletto, the trail branches off towards Rifugio Bocchette. This mountain hut lies at 1,300 meters on the northern side, at the foot of Monte Grappa. It is distinct from Rifugio Bocchette di Mezzo: the Conca delle Bocchette section of the Anello naturalistico del Grappa starts there, and the hut can be reached from Seren del Grappa.

The Centro didattico Valpore is open from May to October. This provides seasonal guidance for planning your visit, alongside the trails and circular hikes described above.

Glacial cirque and mixed forest

The Conca delle Bocchette is a glacial cirque, formed during the last Quaternary glaciation, around 130,000 to 10,000 years ago. Its character is shaped by diverse vegetation and traces of former settlements and rustic buildings. The mixed forest described for the Valle di Seren includes silver firs, Norway spruces, deciduous trees and beeches.

For your selection, this means a clear distinction: the church, museum and Fojaroi reveal different facets of cultural history, while the Valle di Seren, the ridgelines and the Conca delle Bocchette offer different starting points for walks and hikes.

Discover more destinations: San Nicolò Di Comelico, San Vito Di Cadore, Pascoli and Falcade.

Back to the main travel overview: Belluno.