Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona, Campigna: Itineraries

Itineraries

The Apennines touching the regions of Tuscany and Romagna and in particular Foreste Casentinesi are well-known by hikers. Some classical itineraries like the GEA or the Acquacheta waterfall are usally attended by a constantly growing number of visitors, but the trail network has always been quite poor except for some trails. The Park has worked to fix the trails and to place trail markers along the already existing ones (more than 250 kilometres) and at the same time to create a good and precise instrument of territorial exploration: the hiking map.
The map, scale 1:25.000, includes the description of 160 numbered trails, that is about 250 hours of walks.

The Nature Trails

9 trails to discover the territory and nature of the Park

The Nature Trails (Sentieri Natura) are a particular series of trails created by the Park. They are itineraries of a few kilometers, along which it is possible to discover and recognize territorial features (trees, rocks, traces of the animal presence) in a "self-guided" way. The beginning of each trail is marked by the presence of a panel describing its features. The Park area includes nine Nature Trails, easily accessible, along which you will find some observation points marked by numbered poles. Visitors may use a small and practical brochure-guidebook (for sale in the Visitor Centers or in the Park Info Points) leading to the discovery and interpretation of the main features of the environments they will cross. The descriptions deal with the geomorphological structure of the territory, the vegetation, the wildlife, and the history of the places. The brochures are made to be easy to use, and to this aim they deal with the issue with a didactic method. Therefore, they are addressed to schools, but also to not expert hikers who would like to rely on an instrument for a first approach to the territory. The Nature Trails represent an invitation to observation and to a responsible approach to the protected area. The itineraries have been chosen for their proximity to busy and well known areas, and each develops a particular issue, so that it will be interesting to discover all of them.

Further information

Georef.	Itinerary	Typology		Interest
	Acquacheta Dante's valley and waterfall		On foot 4 h 30 m
	Badia Prataglia - Capanno The beech tree wood		On foot 2 h
	Camaldoli Trees and Wood		On foot 2 h
	Campigna The Silver Fir and the fir tree woods		On foot 2 h 30 m
	Castagno d'Andrea The chestnut tree culture		On foot 2 h
	Fiumicello Following the traces left by man		On foot 2 h
	Ridracoli Stone Traces		On foot 3 h
	To Sacro Monte de la Verna Nature, history, and spirituality		On foot 1.45 hours
	Tredozio-Ponte Lake Nature and the forms of the territory		On foot 2 h

The Park for Everyone

Drawing visitors closer to nature is one of the Park aims, and this aim is even more admirable if it can involve everyone, without any exception. The principle animating the project is to put at the visitors' disposal some structures which are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities.
In 2002, the first accessible trail was created in Campigna di Santa Sofia (FC) on the Park slope of Romagna, and in 2004 the accessible trail in Badia Prataglia (AR), on the Park slope of Casentino, was inaugurated.
The first trail, called "Un sentiero per tutti... i sensi" (A trail for all... senses), follows the famous Viale del Granduca di Campigna mentioned by the poet Dino Campana and is structured in 10 points along a route of about 350 meters; the trail in Badia Prataglia, "Una Foresta per tutti... i sensi: un sentiero per Sonia" (A Forest for all senses: A trail for Sonia), develops in loc. Capanno and has as a guiding thread the evolution of the relationship between man and forest over the centuries.
Both trails, prepared in collaboration with Corpo Forestale dello Stato - Ufficio Amministrazione Riserve Naturali Casentinesi ex ASFD, are structured in points suitable for all visitors and meeting different needs as far as heights, accessibility, and reading of the panels are concerned. Since it is a project dedicated to everyone, it aims at leading us to use all our senses according to our personal condition. The different points are rich in information, objects, and finds; to enjoy all this, sight is not the only important sense, but you are often invited to close your eyes, stop, touch, and listen.
Trunks, barks, landscapes, traces, sounds, rocks, are all little clues essential to discover the richness of these places, to explore the Park and nature in a different way.

Georef.	Itinerary	Typology		Interest
	A Forest for All... Senses: A Trail for Sonia Highly Accessible Trail		On foot
	A Trail for All... Senses Highly Accessible Trail		On foot

Trekking in the Park

The below-mentioned itineraries are described in "Guida storico - naturalistica del Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona, Campigna" written by Mario Vianelli and published by OCTAVO in Florence; other itineraries are described in the guidebook "Trekking nel Parco" by Carlo Pedrazzoli on the behalf of the company L'Altra Romagna and published by Comunic/azione from Forlì.

The positioning of the described itineraries is reported in the "Carta escursionistica del Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona, Campigna", scale 1:25.000, published by S.E.L.C.A. in Florence.

Georef.	Itinerary	Typology		Interest
	Across Badia Prataglia Beech Tree Woodlands Itinerary no. 7		On foot 4 h
	Climbing to Mt. Santo Itinerary no. 6		On foot 2 h 30 m
	From Bidente di Ridracoli to Bidente di Pietrapazza Itinerary no. 12		On foot 4 h 30 m
	From Campigna to Fonte del Raggio Itinerary no. 1		On foot 4 h
	From Campigna to Mt. Falco Itinerary no. 2		On foot 5 h
	From Castagno d'Andrea to Monte Falterona Itinerary no. 8		On foot 6 h 30 m
	From Passo della Calla to the Holy Hermitage Itinerary no. 4		On foot 3 h 30 m
	From Serravalle to the Holy Hermitage Itinerary no. 14		On foot 4 h
	In Lama Forest Itinerary no. 5		On foot 5 h 30 m
	Moggiona Mountains Itinerary no. 15		On foot 3 h
	On Bidente delle Celle Itinerary no. 9		On foot 5 h
	The Springs of the River Arno Itinerary no. 3		On foot 6 h 30 m
	The Uphill Trail to Mt. Tiravento Itinerary no. 13		On foot 5 h
	To Acquacheta Waterfalls Itinerary no. 10		On foot 7 h
	Tramazzo Upper Valley Itinerary no. 11		On foot 3 h 30 m

Further Itineraries

Georef.	Itinerary	Typology		Interest
	La Verna and Monte Penna Departure: Beccia		On foot 1 h 30 m
	Lama Forest Departure: Passo Fangacci		On foot 6 h

The Alta Via dei Parchi

A long hike in the northern Apennines

Georef.	Itinerary	Typology		Interest
	Badia Prataglia - La Verna This is a long stage that leaves the ridge heading south in the direction of Mount Penna, clearly visible from the beginning of the hike. Departure: Badia Prataglia (Il Carbonile) 24 Lap of: Alta Via dei Parchi		On foot 8 h 30 m
	Camaldoli - Badia Prataglia The hike is entirely in the woods, with rare panoramic openings. Departure: Camaldoli 23 Lap of: Alta Via dei Parchi		On foot 5 h
	Campigna - Camaldoli This beautiful and classic walk runs along the ridge above the Sassofratino Reserve, guardian of the most beautiful forests of the park. Departure: Campigna 22 Lap of: Alta Via dei Parchi		On foot 5 h
	Castagno d'Andrea - Campigna This walk goes over the highest mountains of the Tuscan-Romagnolo Apennines, through expanses of woods that anticipate the forest wealth of the next stages. Departure: Castagno d'Andrea 21 Lap of: Alta Via dei Parchi		On foot 6 h
	La Verna - Rifugio Biancaneve al Fumaiolo This is a long but quite fascinating stage, both in terms of forests and of landscape, due to the appearance of more open environments. Departure: La Verna 25 Lap of: Alta Via dei Parchi		On foot 8 h 30 m
	Lago di Ponte - San Benedetto in Alpe This very short and restful hike leads to San Benedetto, where there is a Benedectine abbey of the same-name. Departure: Lago di Ponte 19 Lap of: Alta Via dei Parchi		On foot 3 h
	Marradi - Lago di Ponte This easy stage moves towards the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi. Departure: Marradi 18 Lap of: Alta Via dei Parchi		On foot 6 h
	San Benedetto in Alpe - Castagno d'Andrea The first part of the stage is the very popular stroll leading to the Acquacheta. Departure: San Benedetto in Alpe 20 Lap of: Alta Via dei Parchi		On foot 7 h