Ah Italy. With some countries, you have a love-hate relationship, but with Italy, we only share a love relationship. Italy is the country where our holiday hearts always race faster. After all, pizza comes from there, do we need to say more? Close to the city of Lucca and the seaside resort of Forte Dei Marmi lies the still undiscovered Garfagnana.
This mountainous region of Tuscany has not yet been overrun by tourists, making it genuinely quiet – even in the peak season. It is the authentic Italy that we love so much: charming mountain villages surrounded by fantastic landscapes filled with chestnut trees. A completely different, and thus surprising, nature than the well-known images of Tuscany. Garfagnana is crying out to be discovered, so here are the best to-dos and tips for this part of Italy.
Garfagnana | Tuscany
→ Fly from Amsterdam or Eindhoven to Pisa
→ Mega fun: The best place to stay in Garfagnana is at Rancone Lodges
How to get to Garfagnana, Tuscany?
From the center of our country, it is about 1300 km to this part of Italy, Garfagnana. A great distance for a road trip. If you do not have a car, an option is to fly to the city of Pisa (from Amsterdam or Eindhoven) and then cover the 65 km distance by train or rent a car. Easy does it.
Staying at Rancone Lodges
Of course, your journey starts with finding accommodation that ticks all the boxes, and voilà: Rancone Lodges, located in the middle of Garfagnana, is an ideal base for the area. We arrived spontaneously, intended to stay for two nights, but ended up staying for five. That says enough. Rancone Lodges is referred to as a campsite – they do have real camping spots – but you can also enjoy glamping, catering to everyone’s preferences. It is run by four Dutch people with a passion for interior design (one of the owners is an interior designer, so you can imagine how beautifully decorated it is). Rancone Lodges is a sight to behold. Do you have your own camping gear? Lucky you: you can choose a lovely spot by the river. If you don’t have this, don’t worry: from bell tents to fully equipped luxury lodges, everything is available at Rancone Lodges.
Besides having a place to stay, you can enjoy many facilities: a large swimming pool – complete with bamboo umbrellas and delicious sunbeds, believe us – and yoga lessons, for example. A delightful restaurant, where you can enjoy both breakfast and lunch or dinner, completes the experience at Rancone Lodges. So, you probably don’t even need to leave your Tuscan spot. Extra fun? Rancone Lodges is sustainably run: there’s a farm, an orchard, and a vegetable garden. The restaurant cooks with local products, and even the honey comes from their own bees. You wake up with a view of the horses (you can ride them in the river!) and sheep, and the wool from the sheep is used by a local textile factory to make scarves. We said it before: Rancone Lodges is a gem in every respect.
In the low and high seasons, the minimum stay is three nights, and in the peak season, one week (but there are also spontaneous spots available). Prices for 4 people in high season range from 1459 euros (bell tent) to 2399 euros (lodge). We paid 65 euros per night for camping. Actually, Rancone Lodges is such a hidden gem that we don’t want to tell anyone, but still: if you go on a road trip through Garfagnana, we would recommend staying here.
→ Book your stay at Rancone Lodges
5x To Dos and Tips for Garfagnana
Curious about what you really want to do in Garfagnana? Below you will find our 5 recommendations:
Wine Tasting and Dinner at Cantina Bravi Alessandro Vino della Garfagnana
A mouthful, but of course, this belongs on your to-do list when on holiday in Italy. The good life beckons in all its facets. You can sit weekly at a long wooden table with a view of the vineyards. For 50 euros per person, you get a delicious 4-course menu with accompanying, homemade wines. Of course, you traditionally end the meal with limoncello, which is also – how could it be otherwise – homemade. And that view from the long table? Priceless.
Travel with the Tuscany Line
This is a train that travels through this entire area, making it handy if you want to explore the Garfagnana region from one spot – such as Rancone Lodges. Because: no parking stress. Traveling by train is also a treat, with insane views. You can easily buy train tickets online; we speak from experience, it’s much cheaper than getting them on the train itself. One tip to definitely get off? The picturesque town of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana. Wander through the ancient streets, have an aperol spritz (it’s pretty much always aperol o’clock in Italy) in the square, and enjoy a pizza at pizzeria I’isola di Coppala Anna Franca in the evening. An elderly couple has been baking fresh pizzas here every day for years, and you pay a ridiculously low amount for it. Don’t picture a cozy restaurant, but a shelter with long benches and plastic chairs. And yet, it was always charming.
Hiking
Garfagnana is known for its beautiful hikes. The real sport enthusiasts among us couldn’t ask for more. Let go of the familiar image you have of Tuscany – such as rolling hills – and discover what this part of Tuscany has to offer: high mountain peaks, alpine meadows, vast forests filled with wild animals (wolves, wild boars, and deer are all present here) and pine forests. Recommendations from our side include: Pania di Corfino, Isola Santa, and Silico. From these hikes, you often have a view of high, white mountain peaks. Now we hear you thinking: snow? But no: these are the peaks of Carrara, a village famous for its marble quarries.
Barga
Known as the most beautiful village in Garfagnana and one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. In short: a must-visit if you are on holiday in Tuscany. In that landscape of dense forests with oak and chestnut trees lies the beautiful village of Barga hidden away. Perched on the hill between the places Lucca and Remeggio Garfagana. Stroll through the colorful streets, visit the duomo, and if you’re here – just like us – in July/August? Then it’s a real celebration as the Barga Jazz festival is scheduled. Barga is known for its cultural vibe, and with this jazz festival, you will feel it in your bones. Barga is oh so delightful.
Fabbriche di Vergemoli
If we were impressed by one thing in Garfagnana, it was the countless lovely, charming, and picturesque villages. The Italian charm is thriving here. The village Fabbriche di Vergemoli is such an example, where water flows through the town. Besides strolling through the village (confession: one of our favorite activities during a road trip through Italy), there are also plenty of places where you can eat delicious food. Recommendations: pizzeria Da Sandra, where you can eat pizza but also the pasta (like the tagliatelle, which is truly delicious). The best part? Incredibly cheap. Want to learn to cook real Italian dishes? In Fabbriche di Vergemoli, you can take a cooking workshop, which is loads of fun and educational.
Feeling like going to Garfagnana?
Italy beckons, and it’s highly likely that you’ve never heard of Garfagnana. The rugged, wild landscape is amazing and unlike anything you already know from Tuscany. In short: if you want to discover another part of Tuscany, in an area that is not yet overrun by tourists, then travel to Garfagnana.
Want to Read More?
Handy links:
→ Check out La Bella Italia: 11 of the most beautiful places in Northern Italy
→ Wow: discover the 10 most beautiful villages in Tuscany
→ On to the heart of Tuscany: 15 things to do in Florence
→ This is the most unique road trip route through Tuscany
→ Ready to plan a trip?
Useful links:
→ Flight deals to Pisa
→ TUI deals for a holiday in Tuscany
→ The coolest hotels in Garfagnana
→ Book a complete holiday to Tuscany with Eliza was Here
→ Check out all articles about Italy here
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