Lake Pratignano lies at about 1,300 metres on the ridge between the Ospitale and Dardagna valleys. It is a peat-bog lake formed by a very slow landslide of the slope, probably at the end of the last ice age, and one of the most unusual natural environments in the Modena Apennines: please stay on the paths.
The loop starts at Ca’ del Vento, where the paved road ends, and climbs gently through woods and clearings to the lake, where there is a picnic area and a huge old beech tree. A short, more demanding stretch leads to Becco dell’Aquila, a rocky spur with views over the Bologna Apennines: there are sheer drops here, so keep an eye on children. The return follows another path towards Fanano.