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Altar Knotto excursion

Itineraries for excursions

Altar KnottoHiking and walking itineraries: Excursion to the Altar Knotto

INTRODUCTION TO THE ALTAR KNOTTO ROUTE

TheAltar Knotto is an evocative rock formation overlooking the Val d'Astico whose shape resembles that of a large altar. It has always evoked more or less fantastic tales and legends about disturbing sacrifices. The beauty of this place is due not only to the striking shapes, but also to the lush flora that surrounds it, moving quickly from the thermophile plants of the ciglioni to the typically alpine vegetation of our mountains.

ITINERARY:   Altar Knotto
 
Technical guidance
Degree of difficulty: easy
Difference: 280m
Min altitude: 1130m
Maximum altitude: 1410m
Length: 5 km
Walking time: 3 hours with tourist gait
Means: walking, snowshoes

The route is located above the village of Rotzo (the oldest settlement of the Asiago Plateau)in a particularly mild environment in which a mixed-type forest develops. The sunnier edges are covered with a carpet of Ginestra that at the beginning of the summer colors everything yellow; later in the season the undergrowth is tinged with purple and the air is intoxicated with the scent of the cyclamins.
During the walk you will visit two other sacred places theAltaburg and theUpper Kugela, place names Cimbri that indicate respectively an ancient outpost to control both the valley and the country, and a "cave" used in several eras as a shelter for those who frequented these heights.

HOW TO GET TO THE STARTING POINT OF THE ROUTE

Starting from Asiago you follow the directions to the highway, just before the village of Canove at the roundabout of the "Italian Bivio" you follow to Roana; reached there we continue to Mezzaryva and Rotzo.

Escursione Altar Knotto Altopiano Asiago

Just before arriving at the westernmost of the 7 municipalities there is a road that turns sharply to the right with the word "Altar Knotto". The road goes up steep and on the third turn, called the Tellale curve, there is a bit of space to leave the car. From here you will find the signs of the CAI 802 trail that indicates our route.

THE PATH

The trail begins on a flat forest lane. The lush and varied vegetation can be seen from the beginning encountering beech, carpini, sylvan pines, junipers, sorbi and fir trees; just to name the main tree plants.

Soon the pleasant walk becomes a little more strenuous, in fact begins a gentle ascent that takes us to a crossroads from which continuing to the right you go directly tothe Altar Knotto, instead swerving to the left you climb quickly with small and quick hairpin bends toThe Altaburg. And here the fatigue will be largely compensated by the panorama!

This like many of the place names of the Plateau, derives from the High German of the Bavarian Settlers who have repeatedly populated these mountains and means Ancient Castle. Whether or not there was a castle or an old village, it remains in the mystery: to us remain the legends... for example, it seems that the inhabitants of the underlying Val d'Astico saw glitter believed to be the coins of gnomes and goblins that inhabited the mountains, and from up here they decided their fate.

As with many pagan places of worship, there has also been an overlap with Christianity. Today we find a cross and every year on the day of Ascension the population of Rotzo climbs into procession.

Itinerario Altar Knotto

We continue back to the fork from where we arrived and turn left along the path that runs on the ridge of the mountain, the panorama remains hidden by the dense vegetation until we get to a clearing from which we can finally see the real protagonist of the day, the

Altar Knotto. Once out of the woods, we can admire it better in a raised position, a point of view that allows you to appreciate its precariousness and the magic that the place evokes.

For those who want there is the possibility to descend on the terrace where the altar stands: there is a steep passage between two rocks next to the path. This, however, is not signaled and is not suitable for everyone, there is a rope and pins, but it is recommended only to people in good physical shape and with a minimum of experience.

Leaving behind this wonder of nature, we continue back into the woods towardsthe Alta Kugela,the last stage of the route, where the rock is still the protagonist. In geology we speak of differential erosion,that is, the presence of layers of rock more erodable than others. It is precisely what happened here, the rock closest to what is now the path has crumbled faster than what we find now above our heads, and this has formed a natural canopy. At the entrance to this shelter, there is a strange formation, a kind of big "ball" of stone, from which perhaps derives the name of the place (Kugel: ball/globe).

The path under the rock cover ends early, you have to go back to the CAI signs that signal the way back to us on the left.

Itinerario Altar Knotto

The road between long stretches of flat and a few descents, crosses a vegetation rich in undergrowth where you can observe expanses of cyclamini, mushrooms and much more. After half an hour they emerge on the paved road, a few kilometers away from the cars.

You can continue along this driveway, but if you pay attention there are signs indicating shortcuts between the various hairpin bends, so that you walk more serenely in the middle of the woods without being disturbed by the passage of the machines.

Profilo plano altimetrico Itinerario Altar Knotto

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