Nature and hiking guide in Garfagnana
For a conscious holiday
Not just ‘visiting’
For those who are not satisfied with just visiting, but want to learn about the past and present of this valley, its lifestyles and its natural features, its merits and its problems, the transformations it has undergone over the centuries, from the Ligurians, to the advent first of the Romans and then of the Lombards, up to the rule of the Este family, the transition from a historical silvo-pastoral economy to one based on quality typical products and outdoor tourism.
My name is Pierluigi, and besides being part of the family that runs the Braccicorti farmhouse, I am an nature and hiking guide and Appennines Park guide, a member of Garfagnana Guide (association of Garfagnana and Mediavalle guides) and the Italian Association of Nature and hiking Guides (AIGAE), a expert of local history, in GIS and digital cartography. I adheres to the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism, to help protecting the precious local biodiversity and developing the local economy.
Qualified guide
Hiking and Tuscan-Emilian Apennines guide
Variety of tours
Half-day or full-day guided tours
Foreign Languages
Fluent English and French speaking
Excursions to discover the valley
A few proposals
The Garfagnana Balcony
On Pania di Corfino peak, in the Appennines national Park
Itinerary
From the Orecchiella visitor centre, visit the bear enclosure and the mountain garden, then hike to the summit of Pania di Corfino (1603 m), an astonishing view point of Garfagnana valley with the entire backdrop of the Apuan Alps in front of us. Picnic
at the summit, then descent to the Isera mountain refuge.
Tour info
- Route: 8 Km, 4 hours’ walk, total ascent 475 m, highest point 1603 m, on forest paths, partly rocky terrain, however suitable for all with a minimum of preparation.
- Start: 9.00 a.m. from the Orecchiella Visitors’ Center
- End: 1.30 p.m. at Isera mountain refuge
- When: May to October
Along the Holy Face route
On an ancient pilgrimage route, to discover the scenic beauty of the valley
Itinerary
It retraces a stage of the Via del Volto Santo, which led pilgrims from Lunigiana and Garfagnana to the church of S. Martino in Lucca, where a medieval wooden relic, the ‘Volto Santo‘ (Holy face), is kept.
Tour info
- Route: 10 Km, easy, with slight gradients, mostly gravel and paved roads with little traffic.
- Start: 9.00 a.m. from agriturismo Braccicorti, minibus transfer to Verrucole
- End: 4.30 p.m. at agriturismo Braccicorti
- Services included: transport to Verrucole, guided tour of the Verrucole Fortress and Garfagnana Coop (PGI spelt processing plant)
- When: April to October
Villages and flavours of Garfagnana
About medieval villages and the agro-biodiversity of this corner of Tuscany
Itinerary
On this easy walk, we will visit some Garfagnana villages with a history stretching back thousands of years (Castiglione di Garfagnana and Villa Collemandina), meet a farmer member of the Garfagnana Food Community, and learn about the landscape, history and economy of the valley.
Tour info
- Route: 13 Km, on roads and paths, without any
technical difficulties. - Start: 9.00 a.m. from agriturismo Braccicorti
- End: 5.00 p.m. from agriturismo Braccicorti
- When: April to October
Weekend on the Appennines
A 2-days full-board tour between Garfagnana and the Appennines mountains
Itinerary
A full-board proposal, including 2 excursions visiting medieval villages in Garfagnana and the woods and mountains of the tuscan-emilian Appennines national Park.
Services included
- 2 excursions with qualified guide
- 2 nights
- 2 breakfasts
- 2 packed lunches
And these are just a few tour ideas, but I can organise other itineraries to Appennines or Apuan destinations or others around the Serchio river valley, with meetings with the local farmers of Garfagnana Food and Agrobiodiversity Community, the managers of Garfagnana Coop (processing of spelt), activities at the Isera mountain refuge in the Appennines national Park, the Verrucole Fortress to the Buffardello or Battiferro Adventures Parks. Contact me to organise a different holiday!