Garfagnana

The Garfagnana is the upper Serchio valley, held between the Apuan Alps on one side and the Apennines on the other, wooded, wet and historically poor, where chestnut flour rather than wheat was the staple; sweet chestnut is still milled here and used for bread, polenta and cakes. Ludovico Ariosto governed the province for the Este from 1522 to 1525 while writing Orlando Furioso and wrote bitterly of bandits and rain. Fortress villages hold the ridges, and the Grotta del Vento cave is open for tours of varying length. The Orrido di Botri is a narrow limestone gorge walked in the streambed.

What you actually see

• The chestnut culture - mills still grinding flour used for bread and polenta.
• The Grotta del Vento - a cave system with tours of one to three hours.
• The Orrido di Botri - a gorge walked through the water itself.
• The fortress villages - Este and Lucchese strongholds on the ridges.

When to go

May to October; the chestnut harvest and its festivals fall in October. The Orrido opens only in summer and closes in high water. Winter brings snow to the passes.

Honest expectations

The gorge requires a permit, closes in rain and involves wading. Public transport up the valley is limited. Villages are small with few services out of season.

Nearby

The Apuan Alps rise west; Lucca lies south.