Florian’s journey – Mosaic – The Big Bench – Seating with a view – On the trail of the impressive giant bench / Big Bench Community 2024

Ciao and hello,

Today we’re looking at an unusual piece in Florian’s travel mosaic, because there are actually several of them.

Today I want to tell you about the Panchine Giganti and take you to a few places where these unique panchines have been set up.

Let yourself be whisked away and come with us to beautiful places, special insights and picturesque landscapes.

The Panchine Giganti or Big Benches are an art project that was first realized in 2010 in the town of Clavesana in Italy by Chris Armreif.

This is an ever-growing BBCP art and community project in which giant benches are set up at certain locations and vantage points.

https://bigbenchcommunityproject.org/en/home

Each giant bench is unique in itself, with a unique color combination.

Imagine that.

You sit down on a huge bench in a dreamlike setting and feel like a small child discovering the world for the first time.

That’s how I felt with my first big bank. But more on that later 😉

Ever since I visited the first Giant Bank, I always visit at least one bank when I’m back in Italy.

They are now even available outside Italy, which makes me even happier.

But we will come back to this later in our search for clues.

A few facts and figures about the big bench community project

As mentioned, this project is the big bench community project, and I think the approach is quite charming.

Since the first bench in 2010, there have been repeated inquiries and requests and an initiative for more benches.

For this reason, a charitable foundation was set up in 2015 to look after the benches and their installation.

The approach I mentioned is that the foundation does not sell any benches itself.

No, they are built and financed by the installers themselves and set up in a special place.

The builders receive the plans, drawings and instructions for manufacture and installation free of charge.

The construction plans by artist and designer Chris Armreif are also only available from the non-profit initiative.

There is only one condition: that the giant benches are placed at a vantage point and on a publicly accessible site.

The idea is to respect the social spirit of the idea and to create a collective experience that benefits everyone who visits the Benches. Regardless of whether through international or local tourism.

The result so far as of this writing is 385 panchines and another 63 are under construction.

All of the benches throughout Italy were not supported by public funds, but were made possible solely by private donations.

But enough facts and explanations now. Come with us on a search for clues among the Panchine Giganti.

The impression of the hike to the Big Benches

I’ll pick out 5 special benches for you so far and take you to them.

These top 5 are of course subject to change and please do not view them in any particular order, but as a selection.

No matter which of the beautiful benches you visit on a hike.

I think the first bank makes the biggest impression on your own perspective and also somewhat on your own world view.

It was the same with my first Big Bench. But let’s visit them first.

My first panchina, the green and blue bench, is in Riva di Solto on Lake Iseo in the province of Bergamo in northern Italy.

We had our Airbnb in this town and after hearing about it for the first time, it was clear that we were going to visit the closest bench to us.

This bench is not easily accessible by car, you can take a nice walk there.

From the lakeshore you come out of the village via the Strada to a few lonely farms.

The animals there first eyed us warily before following us with great curiosity.

I like this simple interaction with other living beings, primarily in nature.

You pass the farms on a lonely forest road, which gradually becomes more of a path. However, you are also guided to your destination by signs at many benches.

You hike through the forest above quiet valleys, hear the rustling of the undergrowth and birdsong.

As you walk along the slopes, the trail goes down and up again and again.

In the meantime, I was already starting to count the ups and downs. 😄

Then I turned around a bend, with a few trees lining the path at the edge of the valley.

I actually only had the path in front of me in mind and didn’t even notice at first that the trees next to me suddenly stopped.

But there it is, slightly downhill on the slope. 😃

At first, I just stood still and looked at them from a distance.

This bench, like some others, is a bit of a giveaway as it doesn’t look that big from a distance.

But if you go into the hollow and walk towards it, it gets bigger and bigger.

I know that always happens when you approach objects.

But I had the feeling that she was growing all the time.

The impression grew stronger and stronger until I reached her.

As I approached her from behind, I walked around to the right and took a look at the surface, then straight ahead in the direction of the bench and was speechless.

The size of the bench alone was an attraction in itself. And I’m not a small person either 😉

This concept of a bank seems so simple.

Nevertheless, it gives you a very special impression, also of the surroundings.

I climbed onto the bench and just stood there for a moment, enjoying the view.

When I sat down, I also had this feeling, which is described so clearly on the project’s website.

Yes, I really did feel like a small child in a huge landscape.

The green of the mountains and valleys.

The whole thing and the atmosphere made a timeless impression on me, in which I as a person am just the speck of dust mentioned in the literature.

I can’t remember how long I sat there and just enjoyed myself and let my mind wander.

Each bench is special in its own right, and I have had the same feeling with other benches.

But this first experience left something in me 🙂

A colorful view of the beauty of the landscape, new angles embedded in my mind as I sat on this oversized seat.

A unique impression that I still think about today.

I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank Chris Armreif and the Big Bench Community Project team, as well as the installers in Riva die Solto. 🙏

You’ve definitely achieved your goal with me. 👍

So I drove northwest from Catania. At first there are only noisy and crowded streets.

Eventually, however, you turn off the main road and drive through small villages.

Many are nicknamed Etna, even though in many cases nothing can be seen of the mountain itself.

Mountain roads follow, which become increasingly lonely and quiet.

I also became calmer and calmer inside with every kilometer and every bend.

If you stop for a moment, you can hear birds chirping and the trees swaying in the wind.

But I also notice that it’s getting colder and colder. But it’s a wonderful environment.

It has a raw, original charm. 😊

I drive on and see beautiful panoramas along the mountain road, which was almost completely empty at the time.

The sat nav showed me that we were close to the coordinates of the location when we came to a wide fork in the road. As with other benches, I didn’t even notice it at first.

But then she was suddenly above me on the right.

I parked the car on the road and entered the lunar landscape. 😲

You can actually call it that. I also talked about it in my blog post about Catania.

The lava rock of Mount Etna is almost black and there is almost no vegetation in this area. You walk up the small, well-trodden path and have the Panchina in front of you.

It is red and offers a strong contrast to the black of the floor and the breathtaking panorama in blue and white.

When you are on the bench, you are presented with a picturesque view directly opposite Mount Etna and the slowly rising columns of smoke. To your left, on a clear day, you can see the sea and a distant town.

A place to take a deep breath, which always harbors a certain hidden danger in the vicinity of Mount Etna, which seems rather inconspicuous.

I thought the location was perfect. Close to the mountain in this lunar landscape and easy to reach.

But make sure you have a jacket with you. It is very cool and windy at the Bench.

After visiting a few Italian benches, I was keen to see what I hoped would be the only German big bench left. The website indicated that it was cream-colored.

So I eagerly set off on my journey. 😎

You pass through the town and reach the visitor parking lot of Weibertreu Castle.

The castle dates back to the 11th century and is known for its historical significance and the legend of the “faithful women of Weinsberg”.

As the name suggests, you climb up the long slope to the fortress surrounded by fields and vineyards.

Once you are almost at the top, the Big Bench is on the left below the fortress.

Due to the surroundings, the space around them is kept very small.

But it offers a beautiful view over the valley and the fortress, a little higher up, also offers many beautiful views and motifs.

These two closely situated places are definitely a beautiful destination and highly recommended.

I would also highly recommend the paths through the vineyards around the fortress.

You have a great view to enjoy.

You drive up from the Iseo location to Vigolo, the main town in this municipality. As soon as you leave Vigolo heading west, you come to a mountain road that is already steep and narrow in the village.

Here and there I was quite happy that no one was coming towards me.

The road gets very narrow the higher you go. 🙏

Outside the town, the via feels sharper with every bend the higher up it goes.

After a few kilometers, during which I wondered whether two cars would even fit next to each other given the width of the road, I came to a few houses.

The sat nav said the bench was to my left. But apart from trees and undergrowth, I couldn’t see anything.

As the roads there are serpentine, I thought it should be after the next bend.

And that was the case.

The bench was difficult to find and is located directly between the two arches of the serpentine.

The view is partially obscured and drivers take care where you park. 😉

There is not much space to reach them.

The path down to it is also very steep and covered with gravel.

I also sat on my own butt there, but remained without injury. 🤞

When you reach the bench, you have a magnificent view of the western side of Lake Iseo and the surrounding mountains and the Vigolo valley.

I felt like I was in a sea of green and blue.

The area is fenced off, which I can totally understand because of the steep slopes.

Photographing each other on the bench is therefore a little more difficult here.

Just take good care of yourself.

The location of this bench is also perfectly chosen here and conveys peace and space despite the surroundings, even if it is not easy for the Visit to reach.

Besides, my title here is very well chosen.

If you want to visit this bench, take at least one jacket with you. 🙃

It is high up and the wind is very strong in this area.

But first things first.

The village of Grone is also located in the north of Italy, in Lombardy, and gave me the impression of a small, cozy mountain village.

I was there completely out of season, so you certainly get a different impression in season.

For me, at least, everything above the village looked very deserted.

That is certainly an impression that you can get something out of.

Away from all the noise, stress and everyday life. 🤯

On the way to Panchina, the road leads through the district and to a large parking lot at an inn, which was also closed for the season when I was there.

But for once there was no problem with parking on the small piazza.

With this panchina, the maps guide relatively well.

You walk along an easy, freely accessible forest path through high fields on the way to Panchina, which is located on a hill at an altitude of over 1000m.

After you have walked through a small wood, you will see them standing at the top right of the hill.

As it is yellow, it is particularly effective in sunlight. 😎

If you look around you, the surrounding area also offers an excellent view and perfect all-round visibility.

In my opinion, this Panchina was also optimally positioned.

It is somewhat isolated, as there are only fields and grass all around.

But it offers you a beautiful view and perfect air.

As already mentioned, as long as you are well wrapped up, you can really enjoy it. Enjoy the view and take a deep breath 😉.

Here we are for the moment at the end of our ramble and hopefully I have been able to give you an impression of the beauty and peculiarity of the Big Benches.

Visit them and collect your own impressions, special moments and motifs.

Thank you for your attention and company on our tour to the seats with a view.

I hope you enjoyed it. I’ll be sure to tell you about other benches I’ve visited.

Pleasant travel and many discoveries

wishes you

The giant bench stands alone in the middle of fields and grass, but offers a wonderful view and fresh air. Enjoy the view and take a deep breath. Visit the Big Bench and gather your own impressions. Thank you for your attention and for accompanying us on our tour to the seats with a view.