People often focus on Tuscany as a holiday destination for her culture and cuisine but outside of the manmade boons of the region, there is additionally a wealth of natural beauty to not only admire but to also explore. From rolling hills to wander, perfect peaks to climb, to rugged coasts to walk, and impressive forests to chart, there is a wide selection of diverse and utterly beautiful landscapes in Tuscany that are waiting to be fully discovered and not merely gazed at from afar. Be sure to take in the picture-perfect landscapes of the region from the window of your villa rental in Tuscany, from cars as you drive to fun attractions, from the tops of architectural gems and medieval towns but if you’re an outdoorsy type, you should also make some time to actually get out there into it. If you have found a vacation rental in Arezzo, in particular, then we recommend a visit to the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona e Campigna, or Casentinesi Forests National Park, which is one of the largest forests in Europe and a fascinating park with lots of hiking routes that boasts incredible views, an extraordinarily diverse selection of flora and fauna, foliage that turns intensely beautiful russet and golden shades in Autumn, magnificent roaring waterfalls, stunning lakes, and much more besides.
Extending over 38,000 hectares, the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona e Campigna is one of Europe’s purest forested areas and takes in great swathes of both Tuscany and Emilia Romagna. Crisscrossed by tributaries of the Arno and Tiber and stretching from Monte Falterona to the mountains of the Mandrioli Pass, taking in sections of the Apennines, the landscape of the area is varied and goes from dense forestation of different kinds covering mountainsides, to snowy peaks, to rushing waters, to pretty pastures. As you travail the over 650km of trails winding through the area you might spot roe deer, venison, fallow deer, wild boars, wolves, badgers, owls, buzzards, old mills in Fiumicello and Castel dell’Alpe, the impossibly pretty medieval town of San Benedetto in Alpe, the chestnut forests of Castagno d’Andrea where the trees have been cultivated to supply chestnuts for centuries, the archaeological and ancient worship of the Etruscans site of Lago degli Idoli (Lake of the Idols), the stunning Acquacheta waterfall that is mentioned in Dante’s, “Divine Comedy,” mule tracks, little old bridges, abbeys, monasteries, and many other spectacular surprises.
Once the protected royal forests of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, they have, thankfully, remained largely intact throughout the centuries since then due to the foresight of the monks who established hermitages and monasteries in this remote, beautiful, and contemplative place and then the forest administrators who were put in charge of the maintenance and running of the Park in more recent years. This has allowed this ancient forest to remain preserved to this day and has allowed it to become one of the best places to hike, explore, and to immerse yourself in the peace and beauty of nature in all of Italy. As noted, there are more than 650 kilometres of different trails and routes to be explored in the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi and there is a selection of different options for how to do so such as walking, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and ski touring in the winter. So, if you have specifically found a vacation rental in Arezzo and are looking to admire the incredible natural surroundings in which you find yourself, or if you are planning a vacation in Tuscany and you want an insanely stunning place to go hiking, biking, or horseback riding, then the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi is the place for you!
Photo credits
Picture 1: Nicola Andrucci / CC BY-SA 4.0;
Picture 2: Lineagoticafight / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 2: Mattia.b89 / CC BY-SA 4.0
Picture 1: Nicola Andrucci / CC BY-SA 4.0;
Picture 2: Lineagoticafight / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 2: Mattia.b89 / CC BY-SA 4.0
