Ride from Pluto to the Sun on horseback

About

WHY GO

There are faster ways to cross the Solar System. Few are better than doing it on horseback. The Sentiero dei Pianeti, Trail of the Planets, is officially accessible to horses, following eight kilometres of high Plateau lanes and meadow tracks between Asiago and the Astrophysical Observatory. The scale is 1 to 1 billion. Pluto begins the ride far from the Sun. The outer planets appear one after another along the route, then the distances become shorter as you move towards Earth, Mars and finally the Observatory. For once, the enormous emptiness between planets is measured in hoofbeats.

THE SOLAR SYSTEM AT HORSE PACE

At this scale, one metre of trail equals one million kilometres in space. Earth becomes a tiny sphere. Jupiter is still only about the width of a hand. Pluto lies kilometres away. Seen from a saddle, the distances feel less like astronomy and more like landscape, woods between one planet and another, open pasture before the next, the mountains around Asiago staying with you all the way.

FINISH AT THE SUN

The ride ends near the Asiago Astrophysical Observatory, where the Sun marks the inner end of the scaled Solar System. Above it rises the silver dome of the Galileo telescope. So the final approach is rather good: horse beneath you, the Sun ahead, one of Italy’s historic astronomy centres behind it.

FOR HORSE LOVERS

The trail itself permits horseback access, but horses are not provided as part of the Planet Trail. Riders should arrange an excursion separately with a local riding centre and confirm the current route and conditions before setting out. Nearby Centro Ippico Orthal Kaberlaba organises horseback activities on the Asiago Plateau and is a useful local contact for riding information.

DISTANCE

8 km TERRAIN Mountain lanes, tracks and open countryside DIFFICULTY Easy route, but riding suitability depends on experience and current conditions HORSEBACK ACCESS Yes OBSERVATORY VISIT Separate booking required HORSE RIDING INFO CENTRO IPPICO ORTHAL KABERLABA +39 0424 462119 +39 348 2922307

TRAIL INFO

ASIAGO IAT

+39 0424 462221 info@asiago.to