Alongside the valley floor routes that cross the whole of Lunigiana, such as the Via Francigena and the Via del Volto Santo, the Sentiero Italia is certainly one of the most interesting excursions for discovering this area.

The Sentiero Italia is a hiking trail of about 7,600 km that crosses the two largest Italian mountain ranges, the Alps and the Apennines, connecting the entire Italian peninsula, including the islands. The route is divided into about 500 stages: it starts from Santa Teresa di Gallura (SS) and continuing along the entire Apennine ridge, passing through Sicily, arrives in Muggia (TS).

Historical hints:

The national itinerary was born in 1983 by a group of journalists and writers, who later gathered in the Sentieri Italia Association, with the intention of unifying the most important Italian paths in a single path; later, thanks to the collaboration of the Italian Alpine Club (CAI), the project actually comes to life. After a few conferences and conventions, a booklet was published in 1991 describing the route and its major variations, including all the Italian regions. Since 2018, the Sentieri Italiani Association and the Italian Alpine Club have been committed to recovering and relaunching the path, renamed Sentiero Italia CAI, with numerous promotion and maintenance interventions of the route.

In Pontremoli and Lunigiana:

The stages involving Lunigiana and Pontremoli are shared with the neighboring Emilia-Romagna, allowing walkers to enjoy the scenic wonders of both regions. In Lunigiana, the route crosses the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park and the Apuan Alps Regional Park, largely coinciding with the Alta Via dei Parchi.

A unique experience, to be spent in company, walking slowly, to discover the natural and anthropic landscape along the way, or to live alone, savoring the beauties, difficulties and pleasures of the journey.

These are the stages of the Municipality of Pontremoli:

(SI L24) Passo dei Due Santi – Passo della Cisa: The stage is about 25 km long. Starting from the ski resort of ZumZeri, at the Passo dei Due Santi (1417 m asl) we proceed towards the Borgallo pass. The entire path winds along the ridge of two wooded areas. After the Passo del Brattello (953 m asl) you proceed towards Monte Molinatico (1549 m asl) to finally arrive at the Passo della Cisa (1041 m asl).

(SI L23) Lago Santo Parmense – Passo della Cisa: The stage is about 16 km long. Starting from Passo della Cisa (1041 m asl) you reach Monte Valoria (1223 m asl), the point of contact with the Via Francigena. Continuing on the Apennine ridge, with comfortable paths and pastures, and bypassing Groppo del Vescovo to the north-west, you arrive at Passo del Cirone (1255 m asl). From here you go up towards Monte Tavola and the crossroads of Lago Santo Parmense (1583 m asl) with the Mariotti refuge.

For more information, consult the official website www.sentieroitalia.cai.it