THE LUNIGIANA

Along the banks of the river Magra, from Pontremoli to the ancient port of Luni, located in the top part of Tuscany, you can find the valley of Lunigiana

Stretching beyond the Apuan Alps, Lunigiana, named after the moon, is a magnificent land with a rich history and many traditions . The medieval itiniraries of Via Francigena cross Lunigiana following the river Magra; everywhere today, you can still see the signs of its ancient and intense civilisation, well-preserved in the fascinating Appenine valley of lush nature. The hotel facilities include farm holidays offering excellent services and immersed in greenery.

Along the Via Francigena itinirary, but also in the minor valleys, countless signs evoke life in the past- the austere shapes of dozens and dozens of castles , medieval walled villages, fine urban buildings and villas, towers and fortifications of all kinds, Romanesque parish churches, and small country churches... stele statues and stone idols that date back to 2000 years BC, all bearing mysterious witness to this ancient civilisation

Overhung by the high crests of the Tuscan-Emilian Appenines - recently recognised as a National Park - Lunigiana has an uncontaminated nature to be experienced at first hand: on foot through centuries-old chestnut woods or on the Appenine crests, by mountain-bike or on horseback in the medows of mountains pastures, in a canoe or with a fishing-rod in the rivers, torrents and gorges. In the broad chestnut and beech woods or in the bilberry-covered meadows, it is not unusual to come across goats and squirrels, or catch sight of falcons and golden eagles in the sky

The signs of an ancient rural civilisation are evident in the Lunigiana landscape: mountain pastures crossed by mule-tracks and studded with marble icons and springs, mills, chestnut woods cultivated on terraced land, rural villages and summer alpine pasture villages and summer pasture villages as high up as 1000 metres or more. Today it is still possible, in the hills and valleys between, to meet farmers with their mules, gatherers of chestnut or bilberries, and shepherds with their flocks-unmistakable evidence of a civilisation which is still alive

Finally a mention about the couisine, which is rich with simple, yet, delicious specialities and wines which enhance the flavours of these traditional local dishes.

The cities of Parma, Lucca, Pisa and Florence famous for their artistic monuments and the seaside resorts as Lerici, Portovenere, Le cinque Terre, Portofino and Forte dei Marmi, can easily be reached by car.