Desert-like Ridge Walk from Monte Croce to Monte Ceva (via Sentiero delle Creste)

Nice solo tour done clockwise perhaps the most beautiful tour if done counterclockwise starting from the Camper area taking path 15 then always follow path 29 for the entire tour, very beautiful and overhanging ridge passages volcanic landscape and Mediterranean plants such as aloe and prickly pears nice to repeat..

Path for expert hikers, to be tackled with suitable shoes. It has an exposed section equipped with a rope.

A 3-hour circular hike with little elevation gain (300m) on the hills above Battaglia Terme, on the south-eastern edge of the Euganean Hills. The route consists of a more or less flat stretch up to the start of trail 29, where the climb to Mount Ceva begins, offering a splendid 360-degree view of the Euganean Hills, the town of Abano, Padua and the plain. The climb to Mount Ceva is rather steep and impervious and requires caution. Ropes make a few dozen meters of the trail easier. The volcanic rock is still very solid and has good grip. After the summit, the actual Creste trail begins, with various ups and downs through sparse oak, butcher's broom and junipers, ending at the car park where you started. Very interesting from a botanical point of view is a very large area entirely covered with prickly pear plants now with showy deep pink inflorescences. The exposure on the southern side of Mount Ceva probably protects these typically Mediterranean plants from the cold winds coming from the north. Even more interesting is the presence of small patches of a rare species of prostrate dwarf purple prickly pear, which I had never seen. Since the path passes through these prickly pears, I strongly recommend avoiding contact with the plants, at the risk of pricking yourself with the tiny needles they have, which are very annoying and persistent. I believe that the anticlockwise direction (as I did) is the right direction, so as to tackle the most difficult section uphill.

Path of Monte Ceva, Monte Spinefrasse and Monte Croce The group composed of the Ceva–Spinefrasse mountains is one of the most interesting of the Euganean Hills. Located between the municipalities of Battaglia Terme and Montegrotto Terme, it appears from the eastern plain as a semicircular amphitheater of hills, whose peaks do not exceed 255 meters in height. The importance of the group is linked to its particular geological constitution, which together with the microclimate of the area has allowed the formation of a natural oasis of exceptional botanical value.