Tuscany Walking Tour

Arriving in Pisa today we then drive on to our accommodation in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, where we spend the next seven nights. Set in the beautiful and lush Serchio River Valley, our lodge is based on a family run farm surrounded by the magnificent scenery of the Apennines and the Alpi Apuane. We can expect to try some delicious local fare during our stay here and this evening we enjoy a traditional dinner, sampling for ourselves some of the food and wine for which this region is justifiably famous.

Overnight Standard Farmstay Included meals: Dinner

After breakfast this morning we drive up into the Apennines to the Orecchiella National Park, where we take a hike up to the summit of Pania Corfino (1,609 m). Ascending from the start point in Pruno (1,000 m) we will undertake a good part of the hike using snowshoes and the exact route will depend very much on the conditions of the day. The plan is to head up to via the Sella de Campaiana Pass (1,500 m), making our way through a beautiful landscape of beach forests to enjoy the views across the valley from the top. Suitable for beginners, instruction, snowshoes and poles will be provided.

Approximate walking distance/time = approx 12km/6hrs

Overnight Standard Farmstay Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Much of the Garfagnana Valley is national parkland, a beautiful region of unspoilt wilderness that is home to deer, wild boar, martens and eagles. Today we take a walk along the lower reaches of the valley, hiking through the villages and lush landscapes that line the banks of the Serchio River. Sandwiched between the Alpi Apuane and the jagged spine of the Appenines, the Garfagnana is one of Tuscany’s most visually impressive and staunchly traditional regions, where local customs and a love of fine food remain an important part of everyday life.

Approximate walking distance/time = approx 14km/6hrs

Overnight Standard Farmstay Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today has been left free for us to enjoy more of the highlights of this beautiful region at our own pace. Options include mountain biking and horse riding, or perhaps a day of gentle relaxation around the villa. Another alternative is to take a train ride across the Lucchese Plains to the old Roman city of Lucca, to explore its Romanesque churches and Renaissance architecture. The city of Pisa is another possibility, with its famous leaning tower and beautiful Campo del Miracoli, stunning testaments to a time when the city was one of the Mediterranean’s major maritime powers.

Overnight Standard Farmstay Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we drive to Lake Vagli, the final resting place of the flooded village of Fabbriche di Carreggine, which dissapeared beneath the waters of this man-made lake back in 1946. From here we follow a trail up to Vagli Sopra and on to the medieval shepherd's village at Campocatino. After lunch we then continue up to the old Hermitage of San Viviano, a small chapel that clings to the rock-face overlooking the surrounding quarries of Carrara marble, before descending o the lake to rejoin our bus. For the higher elevations of today's trek we may require the use of snowshoes.

Walking approximately five hours/10 kilometres.

Overnight Standard Farmstay Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

From the farm this morning we head out along a trail that ascends through the chestnut forests up to Giappone (590 metres). Following an old medieval drovers route we then descend towards the town of Sillicagnana (520 metres), from there we walk on through small hamlets and fields to the shores of Lake Pontecosi (450 metres). The route then takes us up to Pian di Cerreto and Mozzanella (600 metres), before leading us back to the farm.

Approximate walking distance approx 12km/5hrs

Overnight Standard Farmstay Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

The plan today is for us to walk from the ski station at Casone, up along the main ridge of the Appenines towards Bocca di Massa (1700 metres). Set in the heart of the Appenines and Tuscan Emiliano Park, this beautiful landscape provides us with beech forests and wonderful alpine views as we follow a circuitous route back to Casone via our high point at Monte Vecchio (1920 metres). Much of the walk today will need to be undertaken with snowshoes and the total distance will be around 9 kilometres.

Overnight Standard Farmstay Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today we depart Castelnuovo di Garfagnana and drive back to Pisa, a two hour journey that ends at the city’s airport, where our tour finishes.

Included meals: Breakfast