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Apennines to TuscanyFrom rugged peaks to rolling Tuscan landscapes
Nights: 7 Starting point: Hotel Montegrande (3*), Vidiciatico. This 3-star hotel is highly praised for the hospitality of Bruno Bartolomei and his wife Piera, and also for the delicious regional cuisine, which is justly renowned locally.
Accommodation: Hotel Il Fondaccio (3*), Lizzano in Belvedere. This friendly hotel is typical of the authentic inns in this region, with owner Giorgio Gasparini offering warm and genuine hospitality. Day 2: this long but very rewarding walk takes you from Emilia into Tuscany. You start with a transfer to the beautiful medieval village of Monteacuto then ascend through woodland of chestnuts, then conifers, then beech. It takes around three hours to reach the Porta Franca Pass, where you are greeted with breathtaking views - from the pass and the ridge that leads from it, you can marvel at the peaks of the Corno alle Scale and La Nuda, and look down into both Emilia and Tuscany. After such a long ascent, the rest of the route takes you downhill along ridges and through more woodland. (18km, 7hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Il Parco (3*), Gavinana. Set on the edge of the village, this is a welcoming hotel with simply furnished bedrooms which look out over the hotel's large, well-tended gardens. Day 3: for your day in Gavinana, we suggest a gentle circular walk that first ascends to the nearby observatory and its fine viewpoint. You continue east, contouring the mountainside above Gavinana and Maresca on quiet forest paths before descending into the village of Maresca and crossing open countryside back to Gavinana. Alternatively, you may prefer to take the bus (pay locally) to Pistoia, a handsome but little-visited town. Whatever you decide, you can relax in the pleasant gardens on your return to the hotel. (15km, 5hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Il Parco, as above.
Accommodation: Ristorante-Pensione Dina (inn), Prataccio. The simple accommodation of this authentic inn is more than compensated by the tasty regional cuisine, which has earned the restaurant a good reputation among locals, should you choose to dine here. Day 5: your last walk is long but easy, rewarding you with very good views. You cross hills and a beautiful valley, your destination, the elegant hill-top village of Montecatini Alto, visible for much of the way. The increasingly Mediterranean vegetation heightens the sense of journey, emphasising the difference between these landscapes and those that you explored at the beginning of the holiday. (25km, 7hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Villa Gaia (3*), Montecatini Alto. Converted from a small 19th-century villa with a panoramic terraced garden, this is an attractive hotel with plenty of polished wooden furniture and spacious, well-equipped bedrooms. On your first night we include dinner in a local restaurant, while your second night is on a bed and breakfast basis only. Day 6: we suggest that you end your holiday with a day of sightseeing. There are regular trains to Florence, where you can visit some of the many art treasures and the famous Vecchio Bridge, or, if you would prefer somewhere a little quieter, you could head to Lucca, a delightful walled city with a magnificent cathedral. The journeys to both cities take approximately 30 minutes (pay locally), and you could dine in the city if you wish. Accommodation: Hotel Villa Gaia, as above. Recommendations for extra nights: choose the Hotel Monte Grande for more walking or the Hotel Villa Gaia for more sightseeing. Prices 2008
Recommended destination airports: arrival Bologna (or Bologna Forli but allow 1h30 for airport bus - pay locally), return from Pisa. > Any queries? Let us call you back  |
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We
have long enjoyed walking in the little-discovered Apennines, a region
of deep valleys, tiny hamlets where traditional patterns of life continue,
and rugged green mountains which form the backbone of Italy. This route
combines walks in the Apennines with another favourite region, Tuscany,
a wonderful transition from rugged peaks to gently rolling, Mediterranean
hills coated in vineyards and crowned by hill-top villages whose pretty
churches are decorated with fine Renaissance paintings. The walking is
varied and enjoyable, with some long ascents, and there is a real sense
of discovery as the countryside gradually opens up, rewarding you with
sweeping views back to the Apennine peaks and over the timeless Tuscan
landscapes. 
Day 1: your first walk is an excellent introduction to the Apennines.
After a short transfer to Gabba, which has a beautiful frescoed church,
you ascend through woodland and fields, following for part of the way
a path that commemorates the Americans and local resistance members who
fought here in World War Two. The summit of Monte Belvedere lives up to
its name, in clear weather affording a 360-degree panorama that stretches over Emilia to
the border with Tuscany. From here, your route is virtually all downhill,
passing around a delightful valley and through a couple of small hamlets
to reach Lizzano. (12km, 5hrs)
Day 4: leaving Gavinana, you follow the route of the old narrow-gauge railway to the medieval village of San Marcello in Pistoiese. From here, trails lead southwards across lightly wooded slopes on which you may spot deer and wild boar. We recommend a short detour to an old stone bridge, a perfect spot for a picnic. Towards the end of the day you pass through another historic village, Piteglio. (20km, 6hrs)