Trekking in the Casentino Forests and to the hermitage of Camaldoli

North of Arezzo, where Tuscany fades into Romagna along the Apennine ridge, lies one of the most intact forests in Italy. The Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona and Campigna National Park guards woods so old and unspoilt that some of its ancient beech forests are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. And yet this corner stays off to one side: those who visit Tuscany rush towards the art cities and the hills of Chianti, and forget that just a few dozen kilometres away there is an Apennine world of giant trees, deer, wolves and a deep silence.

Camaldoli

The spiritual and symbolic heart of the park is Camaldoli. Here, deep in the woods, stands the monastic complex founded almost a thousand years ago: lower down the Monastery with its ancient pharmacy, and a short way off, climbing into the forest, the Sacred Hermitage with its silent cells. The Camaldolese monks have cared for and cultivated these forests for centuries, and it is partly thanks to them that the trees have reached us so imposing. Walking from Camaldoli up to the hermitage, along the trails among silver firs and beeches, is at once a nature hike and an immersion in the mountain's monastic history.

La Verna and the trails

The park's other pole is the Sanctuary of La Verna, on the Arezzo side, where Saint Francis received the stigmata: a great religious complex clinging to a rocky spur, surrounded by a monumental forest of beeches and firs that is itself a place of contemplation. Between Camaldoli and La Verna runs a very dense network of trails waymarked by the CAI. The best-known nature destinations are the Acquacheta Waterfall, sung by Dante and reachable on foot from the Romagna side near San Benedetto in Alpe, and the climb up Monte Falterona, where the Arno is born. Forests such as Sasso Fratino, an integral reserve, are instead protected to the point of being off-limits to the public, and it is precisely this strict protection that explains the extraordinary naturalness of these places.

How to get there

To get there, the most practical means is the car. From the Tuscan side you climb up from the Casentino, the valley of the upper Arno, passing through Bibbiena, Poppi with its splendid castle, and Stia; from the Romagna side you reach Santa Sofia, Premilcuore and Bagno di Romagna. The park's visitor centres, for example the one at Badia Prataglia, provide maps and up-to-date information on the trails. Once inside the forest you move only on foot, choosing loops suited to your pace: there are short walks around Camaldoli and longer, more demanding itineraries along the border ridge between Tuscany and Romagna. Many routes are loops and well waymarked, letting you gauge the day to your own strength without ever straying too far from support points.

When to go

The best time runs from late spring to autumn. June and July offer cool, shady woods, a relief when the Tuscan plain is scorching, while September brings the first colours and, during the deer rutting season, the bellowing that echoes through the valleys at dawn and dusk. In these months Tuscany's classic destinations are besieged, while here the density of trees far outnumbers that of visitors and you often walk alone. Late autumn brings the most spectacular foliage, but the days grow short and at altitude it is already cold.

A practical tip: get moving early in the morning, both to enjoy the woods in their quietest hours and to have the chance of spotting wildlife, which shows itself at dawn and dusk. Bring hiking boots, warm layers even in summer and plenty of water, because deep in the forest supply points are rare. And remember that these are places of contemplation as well as of nature: moving slowly and quietly, especially near the hermitages, is the right way to let one of the most intact corners of the Apennines pass through you.

Practical guides for Arezzo

• Where to stay in Arezzo
• What to see in Arezzo in 2 days
• Where to eat in Arezzo
• How to get to Arezzo