The best cycling routes around Piazza Al Serchio

A must-see with sweeping views of the surrounding mountains, all immersed in lush greenery.

Castelnuovo di Garfagnana - Tea Time Sunday, the locals in the new castle are also enjoying the peace. The apostles Peter and Paul invite us into the shade of their modest prayer house (Parrocchia Abbaziale dei SS. Apostoli Pietro e Paolo). The holy water is bubbling… The tea ceremony is a feast for the eyes when the tea bag changes the water in color and scent. After a short toast we bring comfort to Don Quixote. Seated on his horse Rocinate at Rocca Ariostesca, (old city gate) he continues his battle alone… Wandering further through the empty alleys and streets, students in Teatro Alfieri manage to entertain us with a matinée. Students put their best foot forward while fellow students, with crossed fingers, encourage the main character. Exam passed It was nice to be in the new castle during our tea time. Read more experiences? Click through to https://www.komoot.com/en-gb/collection/2195535/-visit-italy-2023-regio-massa-carrara-lucca

Gravelbike or MTB required

Imagine a large square where a market took place that attracted visitors and merchants from nearby Emilia and Lunigiana. A place of trade and exchange around which a life of artisans and businesses, churches and inns revolved. In medieval times all of this was Piazza al Serchio and it still owes its name to its being a square. This was the most important road junction in Alta Garfagnana, not only did the roads converge in this place but also the rivers. The ancient Via Clodia that the Romans built to intensify trade with Rome, passed right through one of the hamlets of Piazza al Serchio, the "Sala"; here it forked, continuing on one side towards Emilia and on the other towards Lunigiana. As for the waterways, the Serchio di Sillano is where it joins the Serchio di Gramolazzo, giving rise to the river that, with its course, characterizes the entire valley.

Camporgiano is located on the right bank of the Serchio River, in a verdant valley that divides the mountain ranges of the Apuan Alps and the Apennines. Of Roman origin, the town was contested by numerous families and lordships since the Middle Ages; in 1446 it became part of the dominions of the Este family, until the Unification of Italy. The undisputed “star” of Camporgiano is the Rocca Estense, built on a rocky spur, and whose bulk dominates the main square of the town. At the top of the Rocca there is a sort of hanging garden in which some conifers stand out, giving the fortress an unmistakable character, dialoguing from afar with the fir trees that cover the heights of the surrounding reliefs. The fortress was built for defensive purposes in the 15th century and is an emblematic example of Este military architecture of the 15th century, with its trapezoidal wall and truncated conical corner towers protruding from the plan profile. Once the medieval center of the city, today the fortress does not retain much of its original structure due to the earthquake that struck the entire area in 1920. At the foot of the fortress you can also admire a stone fountain traditionally called the pilon. The main tower of the fortress houses the Civic Collection of Renaissance Ceramics, which brings together ceramics from a period ranging from the early fifteenth century to the second half of the seventeenth century, mostly found in the wells of the fortification during restoration work.

The climb to Campocatino is very challenging, with an average gradient of 12%-13% and sections over 15%. However, it is not a long stretch and when you reach the fork for Campocatino, the hard climb is over (the next stretch to get to Campocatino has an average gradient of 6%-7%).

Gramolazzo Lake on a rainy day.

At Passo Carpinelli, the view is breathtaking. There is the excellent "Antica locanda" of Minucciano, bar, restaurants, and rooms. I slept and dined there, it's excellent, the products come from the farm next door! When it's 34 degrees in the evening in Codiponte 10km away, it's mild here! Don't forget to stop there to enjoy a slice of pie on the terrace. going up via Pieve di San Lorenzo, the road is calmer and more rural! The slope is often around 9% over the last km. From Passo Carpinelli, you can continue to Passo Pradarena, taking the road furthest to the left, very beautiful, with a splendid panorama!