The Altar Stone Trail
This trail in Sila is perfect for admiring the colors of autumn foliage. We are at about 1,500 meters above sea level and the trail unfolds through beech forests and pastures, mostly on the plains.
The name “Altar Stone” comes from large monoliths, the final destination of our walk, which are thought to have been improvised as an altar by knights returning from the Crusades.
Reaching the Altar Stone Trail
Reaching the Altar Trail is quite simple. We are in the vicinity of Lorica, the “capital” of Sila. Just point your navigators to the “CarloMagno” refuge, and starting from the refuge you will arrive at the trailhead.
The magnificent colors of foliage
We embark on the trail and immediately the magnificent spectacle called “foliage” becomes apparent to us: the trees are colored an intense orange that contrasts spectacularly with the blue and blue of a clear, clear sky.
We walk on a carpet of leaves
We proceed through a forest of fir trees with rust-colored leaves, the same leaves that fall on the path creating a kind of carpet that “crunches” under our steps.
View of Lake Arvo
At one point on the trail we find a viewpoint overlooking Lake Arvo. The trail is almost all flat is still about 100meters above sea level, so it offers some nice views.
The trees appear to be on fire
The colors are outstanding: the trees seem to blaze so intense is the coloring of their leaves, a rust-red color that the reflections of the sun make shine and enhance in an extraordinary way.
Let’s intravene the Altar Stone
We continue on the path and after a while we begin to glimpse the Altar Stone.
Already from this distance one can grasp his considerable size.
We hurry our pace because we can’t wait to see these monoliths up close.
The Altar Stone
And here we finally come to the Altar Stone, of the impressive and spectacular monoliths in the middle of the forest.
Their tonnage is truly remarkable, and they are a sight to behold in their interplay of shapes, textures and balances.
Monoliths with imposing tonnage
The Altar Stone monoliths are impressive in their size.
As already written, they are thought to have been used as a makeshift altar by Crusaders for some kind of celebration, but we have found no other references about their origin.
They are, however, a sight to be admired and contemplated.
We leave the monoliths and make our way back
After admiring the monoliths of the Altar Stone for a long time, we set out on our way back.
We planned a loop trail, so we set out through a beautiful beech forest tinged with the colors of autumn foliage.
The path through the faggetta is comfortable and we effortlessly return to the starting point.
Impressions on the Altar Stone Trail
This trek gave us some good feelings. We walked effortlessly through beautiful forests tinged with the bright colors of foliage; we met animals on our way; we admired the fabulous altar stone monoliths.
All on a mostly level trail, which is really easy and which we feel we can recommend to anyone.
Also to be done by bike
The Altar Stone Trail is also ideal for biking.
The not excessive elevation gain and well-trodden path make it passable without too much effort even by mountain bike.
Route layout
Below you can view and download the trail route we took on the Altar Stone Trail in Sila.
Download the gpx file of the route taken on the Altar Stone Trail
Useful links
Below are some useful links to better plan your hike and trek on the Transhumance Trail in Sila.
