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Forrest and hills, rivers and lakes, picturesque towns and villages full of old but living tradition – all that the Garfagnana will offer us in abundance. A hideaway for the stressed manager, an adventure for those who seek relaxation and want to discover the natural beauty of this part of the province of Lucca. |
In the Garfagnana you will find another kind of tourism; not just nature has remained genuine but also the people who live here. Traditions are kept alive, the charm lies more in the simple things of life. The nature is breathtakingly beautiful, luxuriant and never ending in its variety.
Extended walks, mountain bike tours and horseback tracking are probably the best known activities.
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The menu is highly dictated by the seasons, chestnut flower and all its products, but spelt is used as well. Meat comes from local and natural farms. Fish is taken from the many lakes and rivers. The rich forests offer deer and mushrooms. |
Most famous dishes in Garfagnana are “Castagnaccio”, a kind of polenta made of chestnut flower, and “Minestrone di Farro” which is a soup made of spelt. Known world wide is the quality of the Garfagnana ceps (funghi porcini) growing on the hilly forests slopes in September and October, with the manifold options and recipes to prepare them. |
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A great part of the Garfagnana is a natural reserve, there is almost no industry and life seems to stand still. Who is mentally in a hurry will probably never find his way to this small “paradise”.
The marble mountains are just spectacular!
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In the middle ages, however, the transit routes from Northern Italy to the South came through the Garfagnana and the Serchio valley; as the coast roads were full of malaria they preferred this certainly more tiring but safer way. |
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For our days this route is somewhat too slow. The geological structure of the Garfagnana has prevented from building fast roads, traffic flows rather slowly and calmly. Distances are short in our modern terms, but many hills have to be crossed. Rivers curve through valleys and we have to follow their bends. |
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