Sentieri tra le Foreste Casentinesi, Badia Prataglia - Credit:
Francesco-1978
The Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona e Campigna National Park offers endless hiking opportunities with over 600km of trails. There is plenty of variety throughout the changing seasons and for all levels of ability. You can choose from snowshoeing in winter to high octane mountain biking trails or horse riding in the summer–either way panoramic views are guaranteed with mountain ridges, millenary forests and ancient mule tracks galore. There are also two highly accessible paths suitable for those with mobility issues or those with a visual impairment.
Also noteworthy is that the Alta Via dei Parchi bisects the park. This lengthy route connects the protected Apennine areas of the Emilia-Romagna Region with the Sentiero delle Foreste Sacre and offers all the hiking action one could desire with 11 three-day hiking routes to choose from including two overnight itineraries.
For the hiker seeking a more relaxed pace there are 9 entry level nature trails to explore. Each has pre-arranged observation points accompanied by illustrated bulletin boards that indicate the vegetation, fauna and wildlife to look out for.
Experience a little California in Tuscany while gazing at the magnificent Californian Sequoia in Italy’s oldest arboretum–The Arboreto Carlo Siemoni. Extending over 3 hectares the arboretum is also home to the holy Japanese tree, Cryptomeria. The wood of this prized tree is used to build Shinto Temples.
For history buffs there is the excellent Forestry Museum, a virtual encyclopedia on the past and present life of the Casentinesi Forest. Here you will uncover startling facts about the beech, fir and oak trees that populate the park, but also encounter rare orchids and the likes of the peregrine falcon.
