The trek of chestnuts

A green path that embraces secular chestnut trees, rivers, streams, springs. A place to rediscover the magic and charm of nature.

Travelling time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Why we love it: An itinerary to discover appenines
Length: 12 km
Total Elevation Gain: 300 m
Way to travel: On foot
Cost: 0 €
Our Advice: Ideal to trek in autumn, spring and summer

In the hug of the ancient chestnuts lie the stone made houses of the villages Vighini and Carlinetti.

Brooks, rivers, sources and peat bogslive up the life of these old woods.

From Borgotaro to Vighini. From the station of Borgotaro go onto the provincial road direction passo del Bratello and walk on the top of the walls, the massive bank of the Tarodine river, that in 1893 flooded and destroyed the railway station just opened.

Turn left on a narrow road climbing up to the village of Grifola.

From Grifola follow the municipal road until the village of Vighini.

Around the Orsaresso peat bog.

The trek starts between the Carlinetti and Vighini leaving the municipal road for a little one that enters the woods (Cai 833 D). After walking on the side of an amandoned chestnuts wood, the trial Rio dei Vighini and Rio di Cravile, arrives in the parking space of Prato dell'Orsaresso.

The trek goes on among chestnuts woods, it passes the Orsaresso river, whose waters get into the peat bog with the same name, then get into a wood of red and white firs. The trek passes through another peat bog: the Prato Zuccone.

From Prato Zuccone carry on until you cross the Burallo river. An alternative route takes you to the crest to joint the Via degli Antichi Passi following the trial number 833D on the left, then it goes down, passing again the Burallo river.

After passing different rivers, the trek arrives at Pian del Lago, located at m 770. It's another example of spontaneus architecture, even if it's more recent than Vighini, made of a bulding and a barn, with a straw roof and chestnut wood, located right under wide fields and chestnuts woods. From Pian del Lago the trek (Cai 833) goes back towards the Comunalia until it reaches the Northern part of Prato di Orsaresso, from there it carries on until Carlineti, right under the starting point.

From Pian del Lago the trial number 833 carries on also in opposite direction until Baselica, Belforte and Corchia.