{"id":29830,"date":"2020-02-24T08:00:49","date_gmt":"2020-02-24T07:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/?p=29830"},"modified":"2020-05-22T14:35:33","modified_gmt":"2020-05-22T12:35:33","slug":"tuscan-emilian-appennines-green-itinerary-mount-acuto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/2020\/02\/tuscan-emilian-appennines-green-itinerary-mount-acuto\/","title":{"rendered":"Tuscan-Emilian Appennines: green itinerary towards the top of Mount Acuto"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last June 9th<\/sup>, the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines<\/strong> has become part of the World Network of reserves \u201cMan and Biosphere\u201d<\/a><\/strong> Mab UNESCO. Walking through its woods will instantly make you realize the reason why.<\/p>\n

The paths drawn among the dense trees, the unexpected views, the long stretches of blueberries and blackberries, the streams of fairy tales, make these mountains unique in the world.<\/p>\n

For all the territory, the coveted certification represents the recognition of the beauty and ecological richness of these mountains.<\/p>\n

\"Tuscan
Apennine, photo by Andrea Merusi<\/div><\/div>\n

On the top of\u00a0 Mount Acuto, walking in the UNESCO Heritage Natural Reserve<\/h2>\n

To fully enjoy these landscapes we went to the top of Mount Acuto. Locally known as Pizzacuto<\/strong>, it dominates the basin of the Lagastrello, the extreme western edge of the group of the Alps Di Succiso<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

We started from the Lagastrello Pass<\/strong> (1198 m, crossing between Emilia<\/a> and Lunigiana), which is not the classic start of the path along the homonymous dam (path 659B, direction Comano).\u00a0After a few hundred meters, you can find the first breath-taking landscape<\/strong>. The river Enza<\/strong>, which reaches the dam;\u00a0a green area, untouched, crossed by small streams. Here, countless tadpoles splash in the water and small fishes quickly cross the watercourses.<\/p>\n

\"River
River Enza’s drainage basin; photo by Andrea Merusi<\/div><\/div>\n

After a few minutes spent admiring the valley, we head towards the tip of the mountain and here is a second surprise. Along the path that leads to the summit, a herd of beautiful wild horses<\/strong>\u00a0is hanging around, unaware of us visitors.\u00a0We pass them by, careful not to disturb them.\u00a0But they seem to understand our intentions and let us pass without any problems.<\/p>\n

\"wild
Wild horses, Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, photo by Irene Binini, on Flickr<\/div><\/div>\n

We continue our walk following the indications that lead to Mount Acuto<\/strong>. Soon we find ourselves in a dense forest of cedar beech trees that shade the path. And this is particularly pleasing because outside the woods, under the sun, the temperature seems to reach 30\u00b0C.<\/p>\n

Walking in the woods stimulates thoughts<\/strong> and even doing it on your own must be a wonderful experience. Physical fatigue lessens the mental stress of a hectic life. The feeling is beautiful, it\u2019s almost a rebirth<\/strong>. Certainly, a sense of peace.<\/p>\n

\"wild
Wild horses, Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, pic by Andrea Merusi, on Flickr<\/div><\/div>\n

Almost at the top<\/h2>\n

Carried by a stream of thoughts that help us climb, here we are, already in high altitude. Once again, the trees of the forest leave room for a beautiful landscape.\u00a0Below us, a green valley<\/strong> surrounded by mountains, and above a blue sky that looks surreal.<\/p>\n

\"green
Tuscan-Emilian Apennines green landscape, photo by Andrea Merusi<\/div><\/div>\n

Surrounded by this wonderful panorama, we go on towards the Mount Acuto Pass<\/strong> (1722 m), which we reach after another hour. Finally, we reach the top of the mountain (1756 m), the highest point of our excursion, and from here we admire the valley. Then, we stop for lunch.<\/p>\n

Sarzana Refuge<\/h2>\n

Once that we recovered the forces, we resume the walk. This time we head to Rifugio Sarzana<\/strong>, the penultimate stage before the return to the dam of Lagastrello<\/strong>. According to the paths indicated by the map, we should reach the dam with a circular path.<\/p>\n\n\t\t