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Garfagnana is a rugged, mountainous area in the northwest corner of Tuscany north of Lucca. It’s wilder and more isolated than the rolling hills and vineyards that make up the classic central Tuscan landscape, with winding mountain roads, gushing rivers and medieval towns perched on top of hills.
Garfagnana receives far fewer tourists than the Tuscany heavyweights like Florence and Siena, but that’s part of the charm. Although central Tuscan hill towns like San Gimignano are gorgeous you have to fight your way through the narrow lanes with bus loads of other tourists, whereas in the Garfagnana you can have equally picturesque towns like Barga almost to yourself.
There are less major attractions up here but that can be a relief after the overwhelming number of “must-see” sights in Florence. Here the focus is on outdoor pursuits – hiking, biking or caving in the mountains, wandering around ancient villages, and sampling the region’s delicious traditional food.
We only spent a few days here – one of them exploring Garfagnana’s gastronomic delights on our Sapori e Saperi tour – but we will definitely be back.
Barga
Barga quickly became our favourite town in Tuscany – it’s just so cute! It tumbles down a hillside, a winding maze of narrow cobblestone streets and pastel coloured houses that are perfect for random wandering – and thankfully there are no tour groups to contend with. As with so many Tuscan medieval towns it’s the details that strike us as we explore – the shuttered windows, ancient wooden doors, and balconies enlivened with boxes of bright red geraniums.
The atmosphere in the historic centre is deliciously sleepy and we encountered few people, just a few Italian men sat in a piazza watching the world go by.
The highlight of Barga is the view from the romanesque cathedral Duomo di San Cristoforo at the top of the town. From the large terrace you can gaze down at the terracotta roofs of the town and the dramatic mountains that surround it. It’s no wonder that it’s a popular place for artists to sketch and paint – Simon joined them while I took photos from all angles.
We had a leisurely lunch at L’Osteria on quiet Piazza Angelio – Simon’s ravioli with cherry tomatoes, pecorino and basil was particularly good – before indulging in our daily gelato at a place simply called La Gelateria.
Our love of Barga was probably helped by the fact that we stayed in the perfect place to admire it from afar – the agriturismo Al Benefizio which we’ve written more about below.
Castelnuovo di Garfagnana
Castelnuovo di Garfagnana is the main town of the Garfagnana and although we didn’t find it as charming as Barga it’s worth a visit to see the striking Rocca Ariostesca (Aristo’s Castle) built in the 12th century and named after the poet who lived there in the 16th century as governor of the Garfagnana.
We also visited Castelnuovo on our Sapori e Saperi culinary tour where we visited a textile mill that weaves scarves by hand for the top fashion houses, and had lunch at Osteria Il Vecchio Mulino (via Vittorio Emanuele 12) – which is another good reason to visit the town. It’s a unique eatery that isn’t really a restaurant – no food is cooked on site – instead owner Andrea Bertucci serves up a tasting menu of cold dishes using the best ingredients of the Garfagnana.
The Apuane Alps
Castelnuovo di Garfagnana is the starting point for one of the most spectacular drives in Italy – a winding road that takes you over the Apuane Alps and down to the coast at Massa. While driving along narrow roads around hairpin turns there are some heart-stopping moments as Italians whizz around the corners towards you, but it’s worth it for the dramatic mountain scenery past marble quarries and views of villages clinging to the mountainside.
To follow this route take the SP13 from Castelnuovo and continue on to the SP4. It took us about 1hr 15 mins although you could spend more and stop along the way. If you get motion sickness then make sure you take some dramamine before you start – don’t make my mistake!
Where to Stay: Al Benefizio
Al Benefizio is one of those magical places that you fall in love with instantly and never want to leave. At least it was in my case and I’m already plotting how we can return to spend a month there. Agriturismi are one of the best types of accommodation in Italy. These farms that offer up accommodation for tourists are usually great value, in beautiful rural settings and offer the chance to get to know your Italian hosts.
Al Benefizio is on a small farm run by welcoming Francesca who is happy to show you around her bee hives and olive groves. There are a few donkeys, chickens, and a vegetable patch as well as the bees and olives. The most striking thing about the farm is the setting – the view is truly spectacular. It’s a blissfully tranquil location surrounded by farmland, forests and mountains with Barga perched on the mountain opposite, but easy to reach only a few kilometres away.
We loved the cosy apartments in the old stable. They have been lovingly and sensitively restored striking the balance between the atmospheric charm of wooden beams, exposed stone walls and a wood burner stove, and modern conveniences – a new bathroom, well equipped kitchen and washing machine.
We felt instantly relaxed as Francesca had added lots of homely touches – artwork, candles, cushions, books and magazines. We also appreciated the very comfortable couch (always a winner with us).
The views are just as spectacular from the apartment. Our one bedroom apartment on the upper floor had doors that opened on to the balcony so you could enjoy the views of Barga from the couch, kitchen or when sitting on the balcony.
Another highlight is the large swimming pool with plenty of sun loungers. Again, the views from here are amazing. There are only three apartments so it should never feel crowded.
The only downside we found was that the WiFi didn’t reach our apartment. You can access it in the garden though and Francesca says she is going to sort this out.
Apartments sleep up to four people and cost from 80 – 110 euros a night depending on the time of year, with a 20% discount for one week stays. The pool is open from 1st May to 30th September. For details see the Al Benefizio website.
If you’d like to get away from the crowds in Tuscany’s cities and indulge in some good food and relaxation then the Garfagnana is the perfect place. We definitely want to head back to go hiking, to explore the many cute medieval villages, and of course to eat some more.
Thanks to Francesca who hosted us for a night at Al Benefizio
The Garfagniana and the Serchio valley up from Lucca is purely bliss. The colours are spectacular. Leaving Lucca following the old and new sections of roads to Castelnouvo you come to small towns with lovely bars, restaurants,Ice cream parlours. The towns of Borgo a Motsano, Ponte di Moriano, Ponte Della la Madalena (the devils bridge)going though to larger towns of Gallicano, Barga, Bagni de Lucca Fornaci di Barga. The drive is amazing. One Restaurant in particular to visit for total meat enthusiasts is called the Casa Della Nonna. (Nicknamed Casa della la Ciccia) where you will eat the best meat in the area. Veal Chop to die for.
Castelnouvo di Garfagniana in the summer very lively with entertainment in the town square.
If your anywhere this area on your travels hire a car to explore this unspoilt beautiful area. A must.
Hi our family did a multi generational trip to Barga 8 yrs ago and we adored it there!
Wonderful! It is such a lovely town.
Amazing stuff. I really need to go sometime soon.
beautiful place indeed… just got back, here are some images I took…
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Great to learn about a lesser know Tuscany town especially one that is focused more on outdoor pursuits & traditional food than shopping.
Love Barga. We ate a Scaciaguai, but I want to go to the place you did next time. I will be back in September
Try L’Altana before eating at any other restaurant in Barga. It’s the favourite of the locals and my clients. You’ll find it just inside the upper gate of the old town.
Next time we will!
since I’ve never been to Tuscany, I wouldn’t mind being on the beaten track! haha- lovely suggestions and can’t wait to see it in person one day
The on the beaten track parts are definitely worth a visit too!
How exciting to find a hidden corner of Tuscany. Looks wonderful!
We got married in the cute little town hall of Barga! It’s the most beautiful area. We stayed in Agriturismo La Costa in La Villa, one of a string of tiny hamlets called Fosciandora that sprawl across the hillside just off the main road to Castelnuovo. It was absolutely spectacular and gave us a wedding to remember. Thanks for reminding me :) (I’d actually followed a link to your Kerala write-up and spied the link to this down the side of the page – just had to click through and see what you’d found in Garfagnana).
What a wonderful place to get married! Glad you enjoyed it.
Maybe so few tourists end up there because they cannot pronounce the name well enough to purchase tickets to get there. Love the look of the towns though, especially the castle.
BTW saw your names on the list for Porto, looking forward to meeting you.
Could well be! Looking forward to meeting you too.
Looks gorgeous. Just added another “gotta see” to my list. Thanks for the inspiration.
Everything looks so beautiful!
Tuscany is just stunning. The villages on the hills, the mountainous scenery. Absolutely gorgeous :D
Barga looks heavenly! I love those kinds of towns with winding cobblestone streets waiting to be explored and killer views everywhere. It reminds me a little of Ayvalik in Turkey, only an Italian version. I especially love the first photo of Barga here :)
By the way, those cherries and that ravioli looks incredible – I may have to relent when I next see it on a menu. Still scarred from memories of ravioli slop at primary school…
Italy has to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world. I would love to see areas like this that aren’t so touristy and don’t have as many “attractions” because really, the views and the feeling of history is all the attraction I need in Italy. Well, and the food. That ravioli dish looks so delicious!
Ah sounds absolute heaven – and those mountains! Just itching to get into them! I love Italian agriturismi as well :)
Erin,
you definitely should join “Capture the colour” contest.
http://www.shorttraveltips.com/capture-the-colour/
I think you have enough pictures to enter it.
What a charming little town. Last time I was in Italy, I didn’t spend much time outside the major cities, which is a shame because there is so much more to the country.
We went to Garfagnana a couple of years ago. In fact I think we ate at the same place as you. If I remember rightly, Barga is famous for its concept of ‘slow food’. We took advantage of that as we lingered over meals and watched the world go by. We also loved Lucca. In the summer, they show films in the one of the squares. It’s an idyllic setting for an al fresco movie with Italian snacks and wine. The place you stayed at looks beautiful.
So many cute hill towns to visit and hikes to do in the Garfagnana, you really don’t miss the lack of tourist attractions. We spent a week in Barga this year and had a great time exploring.
Everything is just so freaking cute! And that ravioli looks divine.