Description of the attraction
Groane Park is located in the upper part of the Lombard Plain, northwest of Milan. Its territory, completely covered with heather, is very interesting from a geological point of view, since it is a clay terrace with a huge number of plant species. Here, on an area of 3400 hectares, oak and pine groves have been preserved, and at the end of summer, vast heathlands are covered with gentian, buttercups and other flowers. The pine trees, by the way, were planted back in the 18th century. The ruins of ancient furnaces with their brick walls and aristocratic villas of past eras surrounded by gardens add to the charm of these places. Interestingly, you can get to the park by bike directly from Milan.
The largest moorland in the park (with rare sprinkles of forest) is the Ca del Re nature reserve - it has been miraculously preserved among huge buildings and factories. Here, in the center of a big city, you can find landscapes typical of northern Europe with birches, pines and young oaks. Another protected area - Lentate pond - was recreated by the efforts of the park staff. Today, migratory birds often stop on the shores of the pond and rare bitterns live. You can also visit Cesano Maderno - a territory seriously affected by soil pollution and now undergoing "rehabilitation": here they are trying to preserve a relic forest and several ponds and swamps, which have become a stopover for migratory birds in the very center of the metropolis.
A visit to Castellazzo di Bollate will be very interesting - a huge complex of forests, moorlands and cultivated fields, in the middle of which stands the beautiful Baroque Villa Arconati. This little "Milan Versailles" was built by order of Galeazzo Arconati, a member of the noble Milanese family. The villa houses a huge statue from Pompeii, at the feet of which, according to legend, Julius Caesar was killed.
Other attractions in Groane Park include Villa Borromeo, Villa Ponti and Villa Palazzetta o degli occhi in Senago, Villa Valera in Arese, Cascina Mirabello in Lentate, Villa Raimondi in Birago di Lentate and Villa Dò in Seveso.
