Trekking in Tuscany
The hills of Tuscany practically beg to be explored. Winding roads take you into them but can only carry you so far. Hiking, however, lets you experience the hills and valleys and lush green vegetation up close. But don’t be fooled by the seemingly benign undulation of Tuscany’s hills – they often are steeper than they appear!
Heading up through tall grass
On a recent Saturday morning, I joined a group of hikers for a trek in the hills above Camiaore, a city northwest of Lucca. As on most hikes I’ve taken around Italy, the great outdoors was not the only highlight of the excursion. Tuscan hills are home to villages and villas, farms and frantoios (olive oil manufacturers), abandoned stone buildings and altars. You can be in thick, overgrown vegetation one minute and then walk out of it to see a massive stone cross erected who knows how long ago.
Passing by a small farm
Of course, being able to be in nature with views that on clear days let you glimpse the sea to the west is an experience unto itself. On my recent hike, dark clouds threatened rain but only a few drops fell. The sun made an occasional appearance. But even under thick cloud cover, the views were stunning (once we climbed out of the bushes). Wildflowers added small strokes of color – violet, yellow, white, red – to the green canvas. We saw evidence that wild boars had been in the area. We passed by a few wild cherry trees and sampled just a bit of the tart but tasty fruit.
Our hike wasn’t long – only about six miles in total – but it was a great way to begin the weekend. And, as always, whetted my appetite for future explorations. -post by Judy
That barely visible opening to the left is the trail.