| Nature and Hiking Excursions around Florence, Italy |
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Peaceful treks through the Tuscan Appenines, amidst forests hundreds of years old, following the ancient paths of Franciscan Friars. Here you can experience the mountain environment and culture and enjoy the beautiful landscape and unique views. At the foot of these mountains there are ancient cities, internationally renowned for their history and art and just a litlle further, the sea.
This is what the G.E.A. offers, either divided into shorter sections for weekend excursions or longer more estensive treks for holidays. This year the C.A.I. (Club Alpino Italiano), the regional Government of Tuscany and the local Administrations have created the specially prepared route for weekend-walkers and families, nature lovers and school-children.
There are over 400 Kms of paths and mule tracks, some of them ancient in origin, stretching from the Bocca Traparia Pass - on the border between Tuscany and Umbria to the Due Santi Pass - on the border between Tuscany and Liguria, divided into 25 stages, each of which can be easily walked in a day, at altitudes ranging from 500 to 2.000 meters.
The G.E.A. is open from April until late Autumn when the snow trasform the tracks into good cross country skiing runs. The countryside can be enjoyed throughout the changing seasons from the spring flowerings until the multicoloured autumn. There will also be opportunity to go pony-trekking through the forest.
The route, which is sign posted throughout with international red and white symbols, is so arranged as to afford an over - night stop at the end of each day's walk. Here food can be bought and cooked or alternatively you can eat in a reasonably priced "trattoria". Accomodation is also available in hostels, on camp-sites, in mountain refuges and even in ancient hermitages. Thus the walker is free from carrying food and tents during the day and in many places can partecipate in the evening in the life of picturesque mountain villages.
Flatter terrain is found in the area of Valtiberina, Casentino, Mugello e Valbisenzio where you can visit, amongst other beauty spots, the immense forest of Casentino, (soon to be integrated into the Nature Reserve at Sasso Fratino).
The main historically interesting points of the route are: Caprese (Michelangelo's birthplace) and Castagno (the birthplace of Andrea del Castagno). Pieve S. Stefano, Badia Prataglia, Moscheta and the hermitages of Camaldoli and chiusi della Verna, founded also by St. Francis.
San Sepolcro, Arezzo, Prato and Florence are only an hour away by bus as are Pistoia, Lucca and Viareggio with the sea and the long beach of Versilia to the North.
The more mountainous terrain (Monte Prato 2054 m) is found into the Pistoian Appenines, the Garfagnana and the Lunigiana where there extensive high altitude grass meadows and numerous beech and white fir forests (at Aquirino and Teso).This area is the southern most point where the red fir is found (in the Campolino Nature Reserve) with a particularly impervious nature rich in glacial formations and clear mountain lakes. Here in Apuan Alps we also find white marble, the museum of ethnology at S. Pellegrino and finally the two Saints Pass, connection point with the Alta Via of the Liguria mountains.
The no-profit making aim of the G.E.A. is to give the public the opportunity to enjoy the splendour of the Appenine Mountains together with their history, countryside, people and traditions. It aims to develop tourism, in a recreational and cultural sense, by means of its open spaces and parks along the itinerary offering adventure and lots of emotion, in contact with unsploit nature at a short distance from the history and art that only Tuscany can offer.
Nature
Natural park of the Casentine forests, Mount Falterona and Campigna. Dence network of footpaths through chestnut woods beech, trees, fir-trees.
Mugello. The Mugello is a huge valley closed in on the North by the Appenine Mountains and on the South by the valley of Florence. Rich in wildlife, rivers, hills, mountains, castle, churches and art. It is the land where tha Medici were first originated, and where they left many signs of their dominance.
The most important towns of the Mugello are: Vaglia, San Piero a Sieve, Barberino di Mugello, Scarperia, Borgo San Lorenzo and Vicchio (the birthplace of Giotto).
For any information you can apply:
Comunità Montana Mugello, Alto Mugello, Val di sieve, Pratomagno Fiorentino.
Ufficio promozione turistica: Via P. Togliatti, 45 - 50032 Borgo S. Lorenzo - Florence
Phone: 055.849.5346
Fax: 055.845.6288
Guided tour for tourists and hiking.
Piazza Dante, 29 - 50032 Borgo San Lorenzo - Florence
Open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9,30 to 12,30.
Foreste Casentinesi: Comune di San Godenzo
Phone: 055.837.4023 Fax: 055.837.4118
Other green area in Tuscany:
The Padule di Fucecchio, (Wetlands of Fucecchio) is the most important Italian inland marsh area, and holds particular interest because its warm climate plants live in close proximity with plants of Nordic origin.
The best time for bird-watching, especially heron watching, starts during the Spring.
The aviary of the marshland is home to several species of waterfowl and the rare crested heron. It is also possible to observe the marshland falcon, several species of duck and interesting migratory birds, such as osprey and storks.
Inside the Padule there are 9 nature walks which can be done on foot, preferably in Springtime. Another area with interesting natural habitats and landscapes to visit in the hill area of the Cerbaie, which has a characteristic sequence of olive groves, meadows dotted with trees and thick woodlands with mostly oaks and resinous trees.
Address: Centre of Research, Documentation and Promotion of the Fucecchio Wetlands.
Phone 0573.845.40
Information:
Ente Provinciale Turismo 50121 Florence
- Via Manzoni, 16 Phone: 055.678.841
Ente Provinciale Turismo 52100 Arezzo
- P.zza Risorgimento, Phone: 0575.208.39
Ente Provinciale Turismo 54033 Carrara
- P.zza 2 Giugno, 14 Phone 0585.708.94
Ente Provinciale Turismo 55100 Lucca
- Via V. Veneto, 40 Phone: 0583.436.39
Ente Provinciale Turismo 51100 Pistoia
- Via XXVII Aprile, 13 Phone: 0573.216.22
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