Description of the attraction
The reserve "Oasi di Alviano", located near the town of Orvieto in Umbria, was created in 1978, and since 1990, at the initiative of the international environmental organization WWF, has been under its control. This area is, in fact, an artificially created ecosystem that came into being after the construction of a dam on the Tiber River in 1963.
The stagnant waters of the Tiber, which covered a large area after the construction of the dam, soon became a nesting place for a huge number of birds and a haven for a variety of aquatic plant species. For several years, a mixed natural environment has been formed, consisting of a lake, swamp, fresh water and woodlands. An incredible number of migratory birds use the Oasi di Alviano as a stopover each year on their flights from northern Europe to Africa and vice versa. In autumn and winter, coots and wild ducks can be easily spotted here, while spring is the ideal time to spot rare migratory birds such as fishing hawks, wild geese, glossy ibis and cranes.
The vegetation in the reserve is typical of marshland and consists mainly of bamboo and aquatic plant species.
On the territory of Oasi di Alviano, there are two hiking trails with information stands and special huts for observing the fauna of the reserve. There is also a reservoir, created for educational purposes, and a well-equipped laboratory with microscopes for a deeper dive into the secrets of this unique ecosystem.
The Sentiero Didattico educational trail stretches for 1.5 km: there are four huts for watching birds living in the swamp. One of the huts rises above a muddy place, where groundwater and rainwater are collected for most of the year, which birds feed on. Another hut allows you to see the birds that live in the field.
A second route from the Alviano Scalo train station to Oasi along Lake Alviano is also accessible to cyclists.
