Apuan Alps

The Apuans rise to nearly two thousand metres within a few kilometres of the Tyrrhenian coast, and because they are marble and limestone rather than the softer Apennine rock, they are sharp, pale and steep in a way that looks alpine at half the altitude. Monte Forato carries a natural arch some thirty metres across pierced through the ridge, and from certain villages the sun sets through the hole twice a year. The range is heavily karstic, with the Antro del Corchia cave system running for tens of kilometres, one of the largest in Italy. Marble quarrying has cut deep into several summits and continues.

The landscape

• Monte Forato - a natural rock arch pierced through the ridge.
• The Antro del Corchia - one of Italy's largest cave systems, partly visitable.
• The marble faces - white quarry cuts visible from the coast.
• The alpine profile - sharp peaks under two thousand metres.

When to go

May to October for walking; ridges hold snow into spring and are exposed. Cave tours run most of the year but book out. Summer haze hides the sea views.

What to expect

Trails are steep and rocky with real exposure on the ridges. Quarry traffic and closures affect access roads. Weather changes fast this close to the sea.

Nearby

Carrara's quarries lie west; the Garfagnana is east.

Key facts