A diamond hidden in plain sight: Parco Alpi Apuane
Two days in the Apuan Alps
For centuries, Italy has captured the hearts of many people. Tuscany is right at the heart of this beautiful and buzzing country. Every year, millions of people visit its historical sites, the rolling hills covered in vineyards and laced with ancient castles and wineries and the strade bianche intertwined with all of the previous. But amidst all of these famous places, one diamond is still hidden from sight: the Apuan Alps.
The Apuan Alps are a small but extraordinary mountain range situated in Northern Tuscany, near the coast, with the Monte Pisanino as its highest mountain (1946m). The fact that this area is still rather unknown to the crowds is rather surprising, since half of Europe’s great palaces and monuments are built with marble from its mountains. Carrara-marble has been used to build the marble arch of London, the interior of the Manilla Cathedral in the Philippines, the opera house in Oslo and even the buildings of the Harvard Medical School. Carrara-marble is undoubtedly the most famous marble there is in the world. But in the middle of this world-famous industry lies this hidden gem.
I spent two days hiking in Parco Alpi Apuane and fell instantly in love with its jagged, white mountains. They almost made me feel like I was exploring some South-American jungle. It was the middle of July and about 30 degrees Celsius when we started our hike in the little village of Resceto. There is a small parking lot at the end of the village, where no more cars than about ten can fit. A gravelly trail starts from the parking lot and immediately takes you up the mountain. The funny thing about this trail is that it seems like it once had been expertly paved. The trail we hiked is called the “Via Vandelli” and was once a commercial and military road, running from the city of Modena to the mines of Massa Carrara. It was built between 1739 and 1752. This road was quite extraordinary in its own, since it was the first European road built for that exact purpose since the Roman Empire had crumbled. In a matter of years, however, the finished project was abandoned because of the steep slopes and hard winters in the Apuan Mountains that didn’t sufficiently allow horses and carriages to cross over. The Via Vandelli is now a hiking route that runs from Modena to Massa in 8 days, over the old paved road.
The trail we took led us high up into the mountains and we passed a herd of mountain goats on the way. The trees quickly grow spars as you climb up between the white rocks and once over 1300 meters, a beautiful view on the Mediterranean Sea becomes visible. We eat lunch at Rifugio Nello Conti, where we will also spend the night. They serve a mean pasta pesto, a traditional dish to the area, as well as an ice cold ice tea. We spent the afternoon reading and lounging on the patio. Since the temperatures were still well in the 30s, even high up the mountain, we decided to postpone our climb of Monte Tambura until the next morning. Our dinner was equally delicious and Italian people are the most amazing company during beautiful sunsets. I’ve never seen the sun into the sea from the top of a mountain, but it was truly wonderful.
Conversations had gone deep into the night and the morning came very early. Before the sun even rose above the eastern mountains, we were on the trail with our headlamps on. The moon still shone silver light on the ocean when we left. The trail grew more narrow and more rocky as we went along, but we had to hurry if we had to make it to the summit before sunrise. The Monte Tambure is the second highest mountain of the Apuan Alps and not a particularly easy one to climb. We were completely alone on trail; there was nobody else in what seemed like for miles. Everything was completely silent, save for the rustle of the leavy grass. The last part of the climb was particularly difficult in the dark, but we made it just in time to enjoy the sunrise. And I don’t even have to tell you it was a stunning one. I think the pictures down below speak louder than words.
After our little expedition, we returned to the mountain hut for breakfast before we headed back down to the habited world. Our little break from reality didn’t last long, but we discovered a truly gorgeous place that I had never even heard about before. And I can only recommend anyone wanting to escape the busy, buzzing life of the cities to roam around the Apuan Alps.
What other things are there to do in the Apuan Alps?
Multiple mountain huts are scattered all over the Apuan Alps so it is entirely possible to do a multi-day trek solely in this mountain range. The different hiking routes vary in difficulty, from easy to only for very experienced hikers. I do advise you to check some maps before heading out, because the signage on the way isn’t always as clear as it should be and you don’t want to end up on a hiking trail that is more difficult than you have bargained for.
There are several via ferratas all over the Apuan Alps, ranging from easy to difficult. You can find more information on the different via ferratas via this link: https://www.ferrate365.it/itinerari/ferrate-alpi-apuane/ . Next to these, there are several mountains that can be climbed with the appropriate equipment. There are both natural climbing walls and mountains that have been pre-fitted. More information on this page: http://www.parks.it/parco.alpi.apuane/Eiti.php .
Throughout the parc you can find many bike trails perfect for mountain biking. More information about the different trails can be found on this website: http://www.parks.it/parco.alpi.apuane/Eiti.php .
The Antro del Corchia is a spectacular cave in the heart of the Apuan Alps. It is believed that the cave system stretches more than 70 kilometers. That would mean they are one of the most extensive cave systems in the entire world. More information about this cave you can find on this website: https://www.discovertuscany.com/garfagnana/antro-del-corchia.html .
How to get to the Apuan Alps
It is possible to get to the Apuan Alps by train (end station “Massa”), but to really get up in the mountains you do need a car. Small villages like Resceto are not served by public transport. In a lot of places, there isn’t even cell service. A car is the best transportation to really make the most of your visit.
