Via degli Dei: Seven Days Through Etruscan Forests and Silent Apennines

It's called the Via degli Dei — the Way of the Gods — because it crosses mountains with divine names: Monte Venere, Monte Luario, Monte Adone. The mythological coincidence is already a promise. The trail connects Bologna to Florence in seven stages over roughly 130 kilometers, largely following the Roman Via Flaminia Militare, the road legionaries walked between the two most important cities of Cisalpine Gaul. Very few foreign tourists know it; many Italians have never heard its name.

The Route and the Stages

You set out from Piazza Maggiore in Bologna and immediately climb toward the Sanctuary of Madonna di San Luca, then toward Marzabotto, where one of the most important Etruscan cities of the Po Valley lies silent beside the Reno river. From there the forest thickens: oaks, beeches, centuries-old chestnut trees. The most demanding stage crosses the Futa Pass (903 m), where the German military cemetery from World War II — 30,683 crosses of lava stone among the pines — stops any step in an unexpected silence. The final descent toward Florence offers a view of the Duomo that opens suddenly through the olive groves of Fiesole.

When to Go and Where to Stay

The ideal season is April-May and September-October: the forests are alive with color, the heat is not yet unbearable, and the CAI mountain huts along the route — such as the one at Monte Adone or the Rifugio La Maestà — have room. In summer the trail is walkable but more crowded on sections nearest to the cities; in winter some high-altitude stretches can be snow-covered. Overnight stays cost between 20 and 35 euros per night at affiliated facilities; many parish houses offer pilgrim hospitality for a free-will donation.

What to Eat and Why to Choose This Trail

The gastronomic border between Emilia and Tuscany is crossed on foot with your palate: you start with fried crescentina and Modena prosciutto, you arrive at saltless bread and ribollita. In the villages in between, like Monzuno or Castiglione dei Pepoli, trattorias still serve Apennine peasant cooking — tortellini al ragù, wild boar stew — at prices that in the cities would buy an appetizer. The Via degli Dei is the perfect trail for anyone who wants the pilgrimage experience without flying to Spain: reliable CAI trail markers, alternating landscapes, and intense historical depth for every kilometer walked.