Lake Verde in Lunigiana
A magical, ever-changing place surrounded by nature
Lake Verde in Lunigiana is a lake water basin with a perimeter of approximately 500 meters which rises at an altitude of 1100 meters above sea level near the town of Cervara, in the municipality of Pontremoli.
The lake, which takes its name mainly from the reflected color of its waters, is a truly magical and constantly changing place: it is surrounded by woods, immersed in the flora of the Apennines, and here it is possible to spend pleasant days of relaxation or excursions in contact with nature.
In the surroundings of the lake, in fact, another attraction not to be missed is the Farfarà Waterfall, a suggestive waterfall that can be reached after about 45 minutes of walking along the so-called "Agneda Route" (Strada dell'Agneda).
The Lake
The peculiarity of Lake Verde is that it does not have a tributary watercourse, but it receives its water supply mainly from atmospheric precipitation and surface runoff along the surrounding slopes!
In fact, the lake level undergoes significant seasonal variations based on the differences in incoming water flows and losses due to underground infiltration and outgoing evaporation.
To reach it, you can take the Pontremoli motorway exit and follow the signs for Località Cervara, in Verde river valley. From there, it is advisable to continue on foot along a dirt road that follows the route of Via degli Abati for approximately 5 km.
The Via degli Abati was an important communication route between Pavia, passing through the abbey of Bobbio, up to Pontremoli, and represented one of the main Apennine routes even before the Via Francigena.
Here, lush chestnut woods, a rich undergrowth and the sporadic presence of buildings and ruins surrounded by nature, and a symbol of an abandoned rural past, accompany the walk (or the climb in a 4x4 car) up to the lake basin.
At the end of the climb, a natural sandstone formation constitutes a natural barrier on the southern shore of the lake.
