Authentic, healthy and sustainable travel experiences for the discerning traveller
Home page Destinations Experiences Expert Guides Reviews Offers Become a friend About Us

The Secret Apennines

Europe : Italy

Tour name: The Secret Apennines

The Apennines, stretching from Liguria to Umbria, form Italy's spine and offer some of the country's best walking.

Duration: 7 Days      Grading: MODERATE      Type: SELF-GUIDED      Prices from: £568

Add to Favourites Prices and Enquiries

Tour Summary:

Tour name: The Secret Apennines

Prices from: £568

Duration: 7 Days

Kind points from: 42

N&K Reference: NKT0001582
(Type this into the "Jump to" form at www.NatureAndKind.com to find this tour again)


Type: SELF-GUIDED

Grading: MODERATE

Suitable for: ROMANTIC ESCAPE, COUPLES, SMALL GROUPS

Experiences: ACTIVE

Environments: COUNTRYSIDE, FORESTS, MOUNTAIN

Activities: ACTIVE - Walking

Add to favourites   Email this page
In order to use the Send to a Friend facility you must be logged in. Please either log in above, or register if you are not already a friend of Nature & Kind.

Tour Overview

The Apennines, stretching from Liguria to Umbria, form Italy's spine and offer some of the country's best walking. Our chosen area is the Alto Appennino Bolognese between the great cities of Florence and Bologna and close to the Tuscan border. Here, traditional villages cluster on the lower slopes of dramatic peaks rising to nearly 2,000 metres, and inviting paths lead up through thick, majestic woodland of beech, oak and chestnut to the high mountains. Much of the walking occurs in the protected area of the Corno alle Scale Regional Park, rich in wildlife and flowers, and named after the area's imposing highest peak. In such a quiet, untouristy area, the welcome is genuine and warm. Our chosen inns receive high praise, not least for a regional cuisine of pasta, cured meats, fish from the rivers, bread made from chestnut flour, and, in season, wild mushrooms, truffles and chestnuts.

Meals:
breakfast every day, dinner on 6 nights, plus 6 picnics

Climate:
the Apennines enjoy a warm summer, with average temperatures reaching 19ºC in July. Autumn is a particularly special time here, with the beech, oak and chestnut woods providing beautiful displays of autumn colours.

Starting point:
Hotel Helvetia (3*), Porretta Terme. This is a smart Art Deco-style hotel in the old town with spacious public rooms, pleasant gardens and a spa (pay locally) complete with saunas and a pool. You stay on a bed and breakfast basis so that you can choose where you dine.

Location

Continent or Region: Europe

Country or State/County: Italy


Recommended destination airports: Bologna (or Bologna Forli but allow 1h30 for airport bus - pay locally)
Latest flight arrival time: Bologna 1700; Bologna Forli 1500
Earliest flight departure time: Bologna 1200; Bologna Forli 1400
*Connecting travel: rail from Bologna & taxi/rail back (out 1h/home 1h25) £25pp

Guiding and support

We provide full route notes and maps. They are so detailed that you don’t need a guide –they are your guide. Just as a guide would tell you about the places you pass, our notes include information on any monuments, historic villages or other places of interest along the way, and if it is worth making a detour to a fantastic viewpoint, we point this out too. We even make suggestions for good picnic spots. If back up is required, your hosts are on hand to help out, or you can call our 24-hour emergency line.
Reviews

No reviews available yet...

Tour Highlights

Take in the spectacular views - Pass old stone houses - Waymarked paths - Walk through majestic woodland - Pass pretty churches along the way

Itinerary

Day 1

As your first walk is not overly long, you could take some time to explore Porretta Terme before setting off. When you are ready, you strike out uphill in the direction of Castelluccio, an ancient village with a crumbling castle and sweeping views over the surrounding area to reward the occasionally steep ascent. Your destination is Lizzano in Belvedere, from where the views – as the village's name suggests – are every bit as panoramic as those of Castelluccio, if not more so. (8km, 3hrs)

Accommodation:
Hotel Il Fondaccio (3*), Lizzano in Belvedere. This friendly hotel is typical of the authentic inns in this region, with owner Giorgio Gasparini offering warm and genuine hospitality and hearty Emilian cuisine.

Day 1 on The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

Day 2

For your day in Lizzano, we recommend a fairly strenuous circular walk that starts with a transfer and then ascends to the summit of Mount Belvedere, so named because it offers a 360-degree panorama of the Apennines. Part of the route is along the ‘Freedom Path’ that commemorates the heroism and sacrifice of the local resistance fighters and American troops who fought the Germans here. (12km, 5hrs)

Accommodation:
Hotel Il Fondaccio, as above.

Day 2 on The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

Day 3

Leaving Lizzano, you gradually ascend towards Monteacuto, passing several hamlets, old water mills and viewpoints from which you can look to the dramatic peaks of La Nuda and Mount Grande. At Monteacuto it is well worth taking some time to explore, as the medieval village is one of the region's prettiest. From here, you descend to your destination, Pianaccio. (11.5km, 5.5hrs)

Accommodation:
Antica Locanda Alpina (2*), Pianaccio. Run by the ebullient Gianni Gentilini and his wife, Marina, this is a simple but charming inn with an excellent restaurant serving home-cooked food.

Day 3 on The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

Day 4

The day starts with a short transfer, after which you have a steady ascent to the Cancellino Pass, where many migrating birds can be seen at the right time of year. If you are feeling energetic, you can detour to the summit of Mount Gennaio, which overlooks both Tuscany and Emilia Romagna (you are close to the border here). To return to Pianaccio, you descend across the high pastures of the western flank of the Corno alle Scale, following an ancient mule track. (17km, 5.5hrs)

Accommodation:
Antica Locanda Alpina, as above.

Day 4 on The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

Day 5

Day 5: from Pianaccio, you ascend steadily through the tranquil, wooded Bagnatori Valley to the panoramic summit of Mount Grande, from where a path descends via a delightful hamlet to the attractive village of Vidiciatico. (15km, 6.5hrs)

Accommodation:
Hotel Montegrande (3*), Vidiciatico. This hotel is highly praised for the hospitality of Bruno Bartolomei and his wife Piera, and also for the delicious regional cuisine, which is justly renowned locally.

Day 5 on The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

Day 6

Day 6: for your last day, you have a choice of three routes, all of which start with a short transfer. To take in one the Apennines' most famous sights, walk through the valley of the River Dardagna to see its series of spectacular waterfalls. For a final high-level walk with breathtaking views, choose the route that takes in the summits of the Corno alle Scale, the highest of the Apennine peaks (1,944 metres), and La Nuda. A third option leads to La Nuda and returns via the Bagnadori Valley. (21.5km, 8hrs or 19km, 7hrs or 13.5km, 7hrs)

Accommodation:
Hotel Montegrande, as above.

Day 6 on The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
From To Description Num Days Price Booking
30-Aug-2008 31-Dec-2012 From £568 per person per week.

Single room price GBP 45 per person per week.

Departure Dates

May - October

Please enquire now for scheduled dates and availability

7 £568.00
what's included?

Kind Points:127
Prices and Enquiries
Included in the price:
  • Accommodation
  • Activities
  • Airport transfers
  • Arrival starter pack
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Lunch
NOT included in the price:
  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Entrance/ Admission fees
  • Government

Accepted Payment Types

• Cheque • Mastercard • Visa • Maestro
• Electron • Bank Transfer

Nature & Kind Factor

Our Trusted Partner's Responsible and Sustainable Travel Policy

RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

We recognise that we have social, cultural and environmental responsibilities to the people that live in the regions our holidays visit. We wish to respect and preserve both their environment and their way of life.

We are a member of AITO (the Association of Independent Tour Operators), which has always been at the forefront of the promotion of responsible tourism in Britain. It is now a condition of membership that firms sign up to its responsible tourism guidelines:

- Protect the environment - its flora, fauna and landscapes
- Respect local cultures - traditions, religions and built heritage
- Benefit local communities - both economically and socially
- Conserve natural resources - from office to destination
- Minimise pollution - noise, waste and congestion

To recognise those companies which have taken these guidelines further and implemented their own comprehensive responsible tourism policy, AITO has established a 2- and 3-star responsible tourism award system. Inntravel is one of only a handful of members to have been awarded 3-star status.
Protecting the regions our holidays visit

Our holidays are, by their very nature, 'responsible':

- Many of our holidays take place in remote, rural parts of Europe where depopulation has been a feature for decades. We help to bring employment and regeneration to these areas. Furthermore, the walking routes featured in our Walking and More programme help to keep open traditional drovers' roads and other paths.
- We benefit the local economy of the regions we offer holidays to because, almost without exception, the hotels and taxi companies with which we work are local, family-run businesses. The fact that our holidays are for individuals rather than groups means that we can offer hotels and guesthouses with as few as two or three rooms.
- Luggage transfers on walking and cycling holidays are combined wherever possible - if several Inntravel customers are moving on to the same hotel, their suitcases will be transported together, or, where a luggage transfer is operated by a taxi firm, they often transport the suitcases at the same time as carrying passengers.
- Travel between the destination airport and the hotel is always by rail whenever possible, with taxis used only for the journey between the station and the hotel. We also offer options by Eurostar for those holidays that can easily be reached by rail from London, and encourage customers to offset the carbon emissions produced by their holiday flight.
- We help to increase our customers' understanding of the region they are visiting by providing information on the region's culture, history, traditions and gastronomy in our documentation.
- A large number of our chosen hotels already feature local produce in their menus, and some also have an environmental policy relating to laundry, lighting and energy conservation etc. We encourage those who have not yet taken such steps to adopt an environmental policy.
- Similarly, we include information about responsible tourism in our customer documentation, thus helping to spread the message. The information includes tips on how customers can help while on holiday, from turning down the heating in the bedroom to restricting souvenir purchases to locally produced goods.

THE NATIONAL TRUST
As well as helping to protect the regions we offer holidays to, Inntravel also works with The National Trust to offer a programme of walking, cycling and self-catering holidays for National Trust members and supporters. Inntravel makes a financial contribution for each booking made through these programmes so as to help fund the work of The National Trust here in the UK, preserving our own countryside and heritage.


OUR OFFICE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

We cannot ask hoteliers to act responsibly if we do not do so ourselves in our office.

- Our offices, sympathetically converted from a disused farm building specifically for Inntravel, are very well insulated and use energy-saving lighting.
- We will soon be switching electricity suppliers so that we get our electricity from a company which generates a considerable proportion of its power from renewable energy sources.
- We use paper from sustainably-managed forests, and the envelopes for mailing our brochures are made from recycled polythene and are themselves fully recyclable.
- We recycle all paper used within the office, as well as the glass, plastic, steel and cardboard packaging from the food staff bring in for their lunches - the cardboard is used for horse bedding. We give all printer cartridges to a charity which refills them.
- We buy Fair Trade tea and coffee for the staff kitchen.
- Although the secluded location of our office unfortunately means it is not served by public transport, many staff car share.
- We offset all our business air travel emissions with a financial contribution to Climate Care.
- Each year we donate part of our profits to a number of charitable organisations, namely Plantlife, which works to preserve the natural habitat of endangered species in Eastern Europe, VSO and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, which helps to fund the management of nature reserves in the county.


Add to Favourites

Prices and Enquiries

About our Trusted Partner

Whether you love walking, cycling, skiing, horse riding or touring, our award-winning holidays for individuals are all about taking the time to get to know a region. Inspirational scenery, welcoming hotels of character, and delicious regional cuisine are key ingredients of all holidays, and you explore entirely at your own pace – our holiday notes are so detailed that you don’t need a guide – safe in the knowledge that our friendly, expert staff have looked after every detail of your holiday.

Apennines, view of the unknown Italian Mountains : The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

Apennines, view of the unknown Italian Mountains
Apennines, view of the unknown Italian Mountains : The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

corno da castelluccio : The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

corno da castelluccio
corno da castelluccio : The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

capugnano : The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

capugnano
capugnano : The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

apennines road side views : The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

apennines road side views
apennines road side views : The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

apennines valley : The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

apennines valley
apennines valley : The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

Small town in the Appenines : The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

Small town in the Appenines
Small town in the Appenines : The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

Rio Piano : The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

Rio Piano
Rio Piano : The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

castelluccio-lizzano : The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

castelluccio-lizzano
castelluccio-lizzano : The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

Tranquil restaurants over looking the valley : The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

Tranquil restaurants over looking the valley
Tranquil restaurants over looking the valley : The Secret Apennines at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)

The Perfect Gift for all occasions!

  • Redeemable against any N&K experience
  • £25, £50, £100 & £500 denominations
  • An ideal wedding gift!

Contact Nature & Kind

Tel: +44 (0)845 299 7776
Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm (UK time)

Email Help Desk

facebook

Tour Summary:

Tour name: The Secret Apennines

Prices from: £568

Duration: 7 Days

Kind points from: 42

N&K Reference: NKT0001582
(Type this into the "Jump to" form at www.NatureAndKind.com to find this tour again)


Type: SELF-GUIDED

Grading: MODERATE

Suitable for: ROMANTIC ESCAPE, COUPLES, SMALL GROUPS

Experiences: ACTIVE

Environments: COUNTRYSIDE, FORESTS, MOUNTAIN

Activities: ACTIVE - Walking

Add to favourites   Email this page
In order to use the Send to a Friend facility you must be logged in. Please either log in above, or register if you are not already a friend of Nature & Kind.
  • ABTOF (Association of British Travel Organisers to France)
    Best Overall Promotion of France 2008
  • Maison de la France
    Best Holiday Operator 2008
  • Best Short Break Company 2007 Guardian and Observer Travel Awards
    Won for the fifth year in a row. Award based on a comprehensive readers’ survey.
  • Association of British Travel Agents
  • Association of Independent Tour Operators
Exclusive Use Hotels & Resorts (1) »
Farmstays (1) »
HOTEL / RESORT (3) »
PRIVATE VILLA/ HOUSE (1) »
SMALL GROUP (20) »
TAILOR-MADE (1) »
Wellbeing Retreats (5) »
Manitoba

Farm & Wildlife Trail
Vietnam

Vietnam for Kids
Spain

Along the Catalan Coast

more »
Our Trusted Partners:

We Proudly Support: