Italea

The experience

Alla scoperta della Garfagnana

La Garfagnana si trova a due passi da Lucca ed è l’isola verde della Toscana, una terra dominata da incredibili montagne e verdi vallate, racchiusa tra le Alpi Apuane, l’Appennino e solcata dal fiume Serchio per cui offre numerose escursioni naturalistiche, nelle vicinanze della Lunigiana. Un territorio ricolmo di storia, tradizioni e leggende, ma anche di realtà cittadine accoglienti che da sempre custodiscono le loro tradizioni culturali e gastronomiche.

Tour

day 1

Day 1 – Lucca between flavors, history, culture and discovery of the migratory phenomenon read more

Lucca

You will take a guided tour of the historic center of the city which is enclosed by a perfectly preserved Renaissance city wall. You will be amazed by the presence of a garden on top of a tower at a height of 45 meters and you will discover that this city was the birthplace of the famous Italian composer Giacomo Puccini. Followed by a typical lunch in a historic restaurant in the center.

In the afternoon you will visit the Paolo Cresci Foundation for the history of Italian emigration. The museum collects a tangible contribution to the knowledge of an important page of Italian history: letters, diaries, documents and photographs belonging to everyday life, the richest collection of documents existing on Italian emigration.

After a short walk at sunset, you can enjoy a typical aperitif among the local people to immerse yourself in local life. Overnight in the area.

Address: Lucca, LU, Italy

day 2

Day 2 – Search for roots, historic villages and nature read more

Lucca

Visit to the headquarters of the Lucchesi nel Mondo Association, in the center of Lucca, for a meeting with the local community and with experts on emigration from this area of Tuscany, one of the main in terms of numbers of emigrants in history.

Address: Via delle Mura Urbane, Lucca, LU, Italy

Borgo a Mozzano, Coreglia Antelminelli

Moving on you will stop in Borgo a Mozzano to see the famous Devil’s Bridge, the gateway to Garfagnana. You will continue in the direction of Coreglia Antelminelli, famous both for its historic center and for the unspoiled nature that surrounds it. You will have the opportunity to go for walks, horseback riding or cycling in nature.

You will then visit the Museum of Plaster Figurines and Emigration, which testifies to the migratory phenomenon of the Serchio Valley, based on the sale of plaster figurines, which until the twentieth century reached very high peaks. You will also be able to follow the history of the emigrants, told through diaries, passports, letters and photographs.

Typical lunch in the area.

Address: Coreglia Antelminelli, LU, Italy

Barga

You will continue to the medieval village of Barga, part of the slow city circuit and the association of the most beautiful villages in Italy. Dinner in a typical restaurant and overnight stay in the area.

Address: Barga, LU, Italy

day 3

Day 3 – Villages surrounded by unspoiled nature and traditional cooking lessons read more

Fornovolasco

You will move in the direction of Fornovolasco, a small jewel of the Garfagnana, in vogue in the past for the extraction of iron, while now for the excellent chestnuts of the surrounding woods and to taste the Garfagnana specialties based on spelt, game and fruits of the undergrowth.

You’ll depart from here for a visit to the Grotta del Vento, a complex underground system with its halls adorned with thousand-year-old stalagmites and stalactites, water-smoothed galleries, ponds and streams, wells, and bright colors.

Address: Location Grotta del Vento, Fornovolasco, LU, Italy

Castelnuovo di Garfagnana

Departure to Castelnuovo Garfagnana, quick lunch and walk along the Ariosto Trail, an itinerary suitable for everyone that will allow you to enjoy all the main attractions of the town in a short time.

You will be able to experience the culinary tradition during a traditional cooking class of the area thanks to the local ladies followed by a tasting dinner of the dishes prepared.

Overnight in the area.

Address: Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, LU, Italy

day 4

Day 4 – Relax read more

Lake Vagli

After waking up and an excellent breakfast you will move to the surroundings of the village where there is the artificial lake of Vagli, from where with a boat trip, you can admire the submerged village of Fabbriche di Careggine, abandoned in 1947, which resurfaces from the waters only the rare times when the lake is emptied.

Near the lake and resting on top of a promontory there is one of Chris Bangle’s giant benches, a maxi installation to enjoy the view of the Apuan Alps.

Address: Lake Vagli, LU, Italy

Baths of Lucca

Departure southwards towards Bagni di Lucca, whose thermal springs were already known in Roman times and which was home to the first casino built in Europe in pre-Napoleonic times. You will stroll through the historic center and you can indulge in a few hours of relaxation in the healing thermal waters.

Typical lunch in the area.

Address: Bagni di Lucca, LU, Italy

Lucca

Return to Lucca and end of services.

Address: Lucca, LU, Italy

Garfagnana, a journey into the lands of emigration and unspoiled nature

The experience

Alla scoperta della Garfagnana

In a few words

Tour

Let us guide you on your journey to the Roots