Discover Roana: Cimbrian culture and paths through history

Roana combines the history of the Cimbrians with a landscape rich in memorial sites and hiking routes. Here, you can combine a cultural visit to the Museo della Cultura Cimbra with routes along the Alta Via Grande Guerra, cycling trails through forests and pastures, and several more demanding experiences. When choosing your destinations, it is particularly interesting that Roana offers both insights into regional everyday history and several clearly distinct opportunities for outdoor activity and culture.

Cimbrian Culture and History in Roana

The Museo della Cultura Cimbra is located in Roana near Piazza Santa Giustina. It is dedicated to preserving the ancient history of the population groups of the Altopiano dei 7 Comuni. Historical photographs of Roana show the town as it looked in earlier times; the collection also includes tools used in agriculture, cheese-making, and the processing of wool and hemp. This makes it possible to explore history not only through dates, but also through former working methods and materials.

Another historical layer emerged during the First World War. As a result of the Austro-Hungarian offensive known as the “Straefexpedition,” the municipal area of Roana was divided for more than two years, from 25 June 1916 until the end of the First World War, by the front line that followed the Torrente Assa from west to east. This specific dating and the route along the Torrente Assa give the region’s war history a clear local context.

Cimbrian culture also includes Hoga Zait, the Cimbrian festival. Families are invited to experience Cimbrian legends in magical and unusual places throughout the area and discover new corners of the region. The Cucu Festival complements the events calendar as an international street-art festival with traveling performances in the districts of the municipality of Roana; the 16th edition was scheduled to take place from 27 to 30 August 2026.

Hiking, Cycling, and Historic Routes

Roana is one of the 24 municipalities participating in the Alta Via Grande Guerra project. More than 200 kilometers of additional hiking trails branch off from this route, leading to museums, memorial sites, fortresses, and military cemeteries. This allows you to combine a hike with a variety of historical destinations without limiting the route to a single type of attraction.

For a broader exploration of the landscape, there is the Via delle Malghe. It connects 88 public mountain huts through numerous hiking and cycling routes that run through the forests and pastures of the municipalities of Asiago, Enego, Foza, Gallio, Lusiana Conco, Roana, and Rotzo. The Roana Route, by contrast, is 19 kilometers long and has a moderate to high level of difficulty.

Acropark offers adventure courses with elevated platforms, vines, Tibetan bridges, and spectacular zip lines.

Information to Help You Choose

IAT Roana provides local and regional tourism information and distributes maps and informational material about hiking routes, cycling routes, and museums throughout Veneto. If you would like to combine the cultural destinations with a route or another region, you can obtain material there on several subject areas, without having to limit your planning to Roana alone.

Discover More Destinations

For your further search, you can also visit Grisignano Di Zocco, San Vito Di Leguzzano, Caldogno, Albettone, Chiampo, Arcugnano, Canova di Cereda and Quinto Vicentino.

Return to the higher-level travel overview: Vicenza.