The trek described in this guide is a memorable long-distance journey on foot snaking its way through the central and northern section of the Apennines. The Grande Escursione Appenninica or GEA (pronounced ‘jayah’ in Italian) spends a total of 23 wonderful days covering a little over 400km (402.6km to be precise), approximately a third of the total length of the Apennine chain; it moves across altitudes ranging between 400 and 2054m above sea level. Accommodation en route is in comfortable guesthouses and alpine-style refuges.
Starting in eastern Tuscany on the border with Umbria and the Marche, the trek progresses northwest to make a number of forays into Emilia-Romagna – with marked changes in accents and cuisine – before heading inland parallel to the Tyrrhenian coast on its way north to the edge of Liguria.
Marvellous views over the Garfagnana to the Alpi Apuane (Stage 17)
The route was conceived in the 1980s by Florentine walking enthusiasts Alfonso Bietolini and Gianfranco Bracci, though many improvements have since been implemented. The walking is straightforward, on paths, forestry tracks and lanes with constant waymarking, making the GEA suitable for a broad range of walkers. In the northern part the odd brief tract negotiates exposed crest, mostly avoidable. The terrain ranges from rocky slopes and open windswept crests, thick carpets of flowered meadows through to woods, where layers of leaf litter provide a soft cushion for tired feet and the play of sunlight serves as distraction from fatigue. Almost every day road passes and villages served by local transport are touched on, enabling walkers to slot in or bail out at will, to fit in with personal holiday requirements.
The initial southernmost sections of the GEA traverse the 364 sq km Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, which boasts magnificent spreads of ancient chestnut, fir and beech wood lovingly nurtured over the centuries by monks. Here at times the route coincides with pathways taken by Saint Francis as he tramped the hills setting up isolated retreats and spreading his message of simplicity. Nowadays groups of pilgrims follow in his footsteps on their way to Assisi. The second, more elevated part of the trek where the Apennines overlook the intensively cultivated Po plain, comes under the auspices of the fledgling 240 sq km Parco Nazionale dell’Appennino Tosco-Emiliano, dotted with sparkling lakes, formed in ancient times by long-gone glaciers.
Highlights and shorter walks
The GEA is well suited for biting off sizeable chunks as single or multiple-day walks thanks to the excellent network of public transport that serves the Apennine villages and passes. To facilitate walkers who don’t have 23 days available for the entire trek, a selection of shorter sections encompassing highlights is outlined here. Each begins and ends at a location served directly by public transport (or within reasonable distance). In the absence of a bus, you can always ask at a café or hotel for a local taxi.
1 day Badia Prataglia–Camaldoli (Stage 5). Straightforward paths climb through divine woods to a broad ridge, whence a plunge to a landmark historic sanctuary and monastery.
1 day Passo del Giogo–Passo della Futa (Stage 10). A roller-coaster day that concludes at a poignant World War II German war cemetery.
1–2 days Montepiano–Rifugio Pacini–Cantagallo (Stages 12 and 13). Studded with shrines this wander through the vast sea of rolling green hills is a delight in springtime.
2 days Badia Prataglia–Rifugio Città di Forlì–Passo del Muraglione (Stages 5 and 6). A rewarding mini-trek through the Casentino National Park, taking in forests, high peaks and scenic crests, not to mention some good hospitality.
2 days Pracchia–Lago Scaffaiolo–Abetone (Stages 14 and 15). Exhilarating if tiring stretch that negotiates both beautiful woodland where deer abound and breathtaking open ridges, touching on two key peaks.
2 days Boscolungo (Abetone)–Lago Santo Modenese–San Pellegrino in Alpe (Stages 16 and 17). Some marvellous panoramic ridge walking, a justifiably popular lake resort and a historic sanctuary as the final destination.
2 days Prato Spilla–Lago Santo Parmense–Passo della Cisa (Stages 21 and 22). Plenty of open ridge with massive sweeping views, while myriad attractive lakes nestling in cirques provide good excuses for a detour. It takes in one of the best sections of the entire trek.
3 days Passo delle Radici–Passo Pradarena–Passo del Cerreto (Stages 18 and 19). Another unbeatable ‘top’ section that boasts brilliant views, the highest peak in Tuscany and the GEA, and premium bilberry ‘orchards’.
Monte Prado, the highest peak in Tuscany
PROMINENT PEAKS IN THE NORTHERN APENNINES
The following panoramic peaks are all included in the trek or reachable via a brief detour:
1520m Poggio Scali (Stage 5)
1657m Monte Falco (Stage 6)
1945m Corno alle Scale (Stage 14)
1936m Libro Aperto (Stage 15)
1935m Alpe Tre Potenze (Stage 16)
1964m Monte Rondinaio (Stage 16)
1780m Cime del Romecchio (Stage 17)
1708m Cima La Nuda (Stage 18)
2054m Monte Prado (Stage 18)
1895m Monte La Nuda (Stage 19)
1859m Monte Sillara (Stage 21)
1851m Monte Marmagna (Stage 22)
1830m Monte Orsaro (Stage 22)
Wildlife
Roe deer and timid fallow deer are numerous all along the Apennine chain and are easy to spot grazing on the edge of woods in the early morning and late afternoon. Majestic red deer are more rarely seen, mostly in the heavily forested Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi. Originally introduced from northern Europe in the 1800s in the interests of the game reserve belonging to the Grand-Duke of Tuscany Leopold II, their numbers were boosted in the 1950s and the population, now estimated at around two thousand, is the largest in the whole of the Apennines.
A more recent arrival is the marmot, which hails from the Alps. Modest colonies can be observed in the northern Apennines at elevations between 1000 and 2000m. A burrowing rodent resembling a beaver or ground hog, its habitat is stony pasture slopes. The trick in spotting these cuddly comical creatures is to listen out for the piercing shriek of alarm from the sentry on the lookout for eagles, their sole enemy. Marmots spend the summer feasting on flowers and grass with the aim of doubling their body weight in preparation for hibernation around October; they re-emerge in springtime.
Inquisitive goats and horses check out walkers on the GEA
Then there is the wild boar, a great nuisance in view of the inordinate damage it wreaks, rooting around in cultivated fields and woodland. Scratchings, hoofprints and ripped-up undergrowth along with curious mudslides are commonly encountered signs of its presence, though the closest most walkers will get to one is stewed on a restaurant plate at dinnertime as, despite their reputation for fierceness, they are notoriously reticent. The thriving modern-day population is the offspring of prolific Eastern European species introduced to supplement the native population for the purposes of hunting, a collective sport practised with unflagging enthusiasm since Roman times. In adherence to a strict calendar – usually in the November–January period – vociferous armed groups tramp hillsides and woods with yapping dogs sniffing out the elusive creatures.
In woodland the eccentric crested porcupine is not uncommon, but incredibly timid (not to mention nocturnal). Its calling cards are striking black-and-cream quills found on many a pathway, often