further afield
day trips
In addition to the high Garfagnana – north of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana – there are a host of historic and natural sites to visit. The obvious ones are Lucca, Pistoia, Pisa and Florence. We'll add more information and links here in due course. For now, there are masses of sites giving information.
If you are looking for more mountains to climb or walk, the Apuane alps offer a range of great treks, with the pleasure of seeing the sea on the other side when you reach the summit.
The sea is only a little over an hour away, either via Lucca and the motorway, or by taking the road towards Pescaglia from Diecimo, and then turning onto the Passo Luchese to cross the hills to Gombitelli (a charming picturesque village in its own right, and a famous restaurant and sausage-maker too), and then descending to the coast near Viareggio.
The Cinque Terre can be reached in a day, but it is more practical to allow a few days for a round trip. We recommend the ride up the Serchio to Aula and back down to the coast at La Spezia. This can be done by train too, and makes a very relaxing and enjoyable journey.
