More than skiing: hiking near Abetone

From Boscolungo, take this 2.5-hour uphill route that offers striking scenery to reach the Libro Aperto mountain (1,937 m), which affords views across the area. After another two hours, you’ll reach Monte Cimone, which at 2,165 metres in altitude, is the highest peak in the Tosco-Emiliano Apennines.

Also starting in Boscolungo, here are two other interesting routes that reach high altitudes: the first takes three hours, crossing the source of the Sestaione torrents and finishing in Foce di Campolino (1,775 m), whereas the second, known as the “variante dei laghi”, is suitable for an entire day’s walking, skirting the impressive high-altitude lakes, including Lake Piatto, in the Val di Luce.

The Val di Luce, equipped for winter sports, can be reached easily along the SS12 road. If you’d like to learn more about the local mountain flora, there’s a botanical garden in the Alta Valle del Sestaione, which is part of the five routes comprising the Ecomuseo della Montagna Pistoiese.

During the winter the popular ski resort becomes a destination for winter sports lovers, who can find slopes of varying difficulty and scenery, where the peaks alternate with forest.