6-day Guided trekking and culinary tour in Tuscany, from Pisa

Meeting with the guide. Briefing about the trek. Night in Pisa. Accommodation B & B: Pisa – Hotel ***

After breakfast, we meet and go by train to Piazza al Serchio, a small town in the Alps nestled between the mountains. This is a smooth and progressive day. Starting from the base of the valley, we ascend through the hills to Giuncugnano, from where we continue our hike through chestnut forests to the top of Mt. Argegna (1034 m). From there, we will have the opportunity to see the contrast of both mountain ranges: the imposing, steep Apuan Alps and the soft hills of the Appenines.

Distance: 10km.  Elevation difference: + 670m. Duration: 5h. 30 min. (includes stops)/ Lodging in Full Board (FB) regime: Giuncugnano – Agrotourism

We bid farewell to the Apuan Alps and welcome the Apennines. This stage is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful of the trek. As we ascend, the vegetation changes, and the forests of chestnut, hazel and pine trees give way to forests of beech, cranberry and juniper meadows. The ascent to Mt. Tondo (1782m) allows you to enjoy one of the best trekking views: on days of good visibility you get to see the Mediterranean and the Maritime Alps. In a section of the route we share the itinerary with the European trail E1. This trail links Northern Europe and the Mediterranean along 6000 kilometers. Our stage ends in the Carpediem Refuge, at 1574m, located in the Passo di Pradarena, known and used already in Roman times to link the  Garfagnana region with the Padana Pianura.

Distance: 14km.  Elevation difference:  + 1200m. Duration: 8h. 30 min. (includes stops) // Full board accommodation in Passo di Pradarena – Refuge

This is an “aerial” day, as we will be walking along the edges of Monte Soraggio (1832m), Le Porraie (1833m) and M. Ravaianda (1761m), where we can clearly see, due to the characteristics of the landscape, the glacial activity that the landscape has undergone. The panorama allows you to see the Apuan Alps and the gigantic neighboring mass, Mt. Cusna (2120m), also known as the sleeping giant. We descend through the Collado de la Focerella (1749m) to reach our destination through a beech forest, a mountain refuge located in the valley of l’Ozola.

Distance: 10km. Elevation difference: + 400m. Duration: 6 hours (includes stops) // Full board accommodation in Valle di l’Ozola – Refuge.

From the refuge, we pass through the Laghetto della Bargetana, of glacial origin, and ascend the top of Mt. Prado (2054m), the highest peak in Tuscany. On today’s route it is possible to see golden eagles, mouflons, and marmots, among other animals. The trail continues close to Monte Vecchio (1982m) and Mt. Cella (1946m), until we reach Passo delle Radici, a point of union between the regions of Garfagnana and Modena. In the last part of the stage we go down the valley of Valbona to go to San Pellegrino in Alpe (1525 m), the highest village of the North-Central Apennine. There we will rest in a refuge with beautiful views of the valley.

Distance: 14km. – Accum. +: 700m. Duration: 6h. 30 min. (includes stops) // Accommodation in PC mode: San Pellegrino in Alpe – Refuge

The path descends through meadows and forests until you reach the bottom of the valley. We pass through villages such as Valbona and Isola, where nowadays they still have water mills that they use to grind flour. We also visit Castiglione and Pieve Fosciana, areas in which prehistoric Neolithic remains have been found. Castiglione is a great example of a well-preserved medieval village: its walls continue intact from the 14th century. Then we pass by the Pra di Lama Lake, which leads us to the Cappuccini church, where we conclude a five-day trek through the Italian Alps. From Castelnuovo di Garfagnana we transfer by train to Pisa.

Distance: 17km. Elevation difference: -1255 m. Duration: 7h. 30 min. (includes stops)