Villa Costa Residenceholiday apartments near Lucca in Tuscany |
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Garfagnana
Garfagnana, the region north of Lucca, has remained pretty wild and untouched by mass tourism. An ideal place for those seeking not only the characteristic hilly Tuscan landscapes, but also the primal harsh beauty of the woods and stone villages hidden in the Apuan Alps. You can spend the whole day in Garfagnana resting from the crowds, enjoying the peace of unspoiled nature, but also come across fantastic gems of architecture. We recommend the panoramic road through Borgo a Mozzano with the medieval bridge Ponte del Diavolo, which according to legend was built by the devil himself, to Barga. Barga is a small fortified village with a beautiful Roman cathedral, which offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding Apuan Alps and Appennines. There is an old stone bridge with arcades, still in use today. In the summer Barga hosts the famous jazz festival “Barga Jazz”. About 20 km west of Barga there is Grotta del Vento ("Wind Cave"), a spectacular and bizarre landscape of caverns and lakes, regarded as the best cave system in Tuscany. It was known in the 17th century but hadn’t been fully explored until the 20th century (4 km). It’s a real treasure for the cave lovers. Continuing the journey north among lush chestnut trees we reach Castelnuovo, a town with a fortress called Rocca Ariostesca, where poet and diplomat Ludovico Ariosto – author of Orlando Furioso - resided for a few years. 7 km further on, a left turn takes you to the lake Vagli, a beautifully situated artificial lake, which hides on its bottom the village Fabbriche di Carreggine. Every 10 years or so the lake is emptied and crowds gather to see the sunken houses, the church and the streets of the phantom village. In the nearby Vagli Sotto there is a new municipal swimming pool, not large but free of charge (from Villa Costa the drive takes about 90 min.). The seekers of local attractions off the beaten track will be satisfied with the trip to Montefegatesi, a tiny town in the mountains, about 15 km from Bagni di Lucca. On its very top a monument of Dante was erected to pay homage to Italy’s greatest poet, who stayed in Montefegatesi in his wandering all over the country. (Attention: it’s advisable to leave the car before the town, the entrance road is very narrow). |