Visiting Versilia and Garfagnana

The perfect complement of your holiday in the Eastern Ligurian Riviera:
The region of Tuscany begins where the Ligurian province of La Spezia ends.
The first parts of the region – Versilia and Garfagnana – are divided by the Apuan Alps.
They have been famous since ancient times for their marble quarries.
They are also well-known for being a nature-lovers paradise and for those
who love going hiking on trails, discover caves and are speleology experts.

The Apuan Alps:
Rich in white, cipollino and cardoso marble quarries, these mountains reach heights
of almost 2,000 m above the sea level, with the highest peak being Mount Pisanino.
The millenarian marble extraction has shaped the landscape and given it a whitish colour.
This makes it seem as though some peaks are covered with snow all year round.
The town of Colonnata was founded in close connection to the marble quarries.
Besides being famous for the wonderful excursion paths, the town has also become famous for the lard which
the quarry workers used to keep in salt in holes dug in the marble.
There are many holes underground as they have been excavated by underground streams, which have created wonderful caves over the centuries.
One of the most beautiful caves is the "Antro del Corchia" in the municipality of Stazzema, not far from Levigliani and Terrinca.
Other famous caves are "Buca del Cane", "Tana dei Gracchi" and "Tana dell’Olmo Selvatico".
The numerous paths running through the Apuan Alps are of great interest for hikers.

Versilia:
The last town in Liguria is Dogana di Ortonovo, after which the province of Massa Carrara begins.
Versilia is famous for its seaside resort towns, with very similar beaches to those of the Adriatic coast,
and shallow sea water, as well as for the leisure activities and shopping it offers.
Marina di Carrara, Marina di Massa, Cinquale, Forte dei Marmi, Marina di Pietrasanta,
Lido di Camaiore and especially Viareggio are a must for night-life and club goers.
Carrara, Massa, Seravezza, Pietrasanta are interesting for tourists for the production and storage of marble blocks.
Viareggio is a worldwide famous carnival resort town.
Garfagnana lies to the north of the Apuan Alps, between Aulla, Pontremoli and Lucca.
The Garfagnana borders, in its entire length in the Apennines area, the Region of Emilia Romagna.
The passes of Cerreto and Abetone divide it from the provinces of Reggio Emilia and Modena.
Green and relaxing, with very little traffic, this area is ideal for excursions and visiting
small villages that have fortunately kept many of their original characteristics.
Thanks to its great network of paths, Garfagnana is also very attractive for hikers.
There are very interesting caves to discover in Equi Terme and near Lucca (Grotta del Vento).
The most important town is Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, while many other towns in the area are also worth a visit:
Castigliane di Garfagnana, Gallicano, Bagni di Lucca and Borgo a Mozzano.
Close to Barga, in the manmade lake of Vagli, the ancient village of Fabbriche di Careggine
lies submerged in the water of a hydroelectric power plant dam.
The village with the small houses and church with a bell emerges once every 10 years, on the occasion
of the dam's maintenance operations, thus offering a unique show to thousands of tourists.

A short trip to Garfagnana and Versilia while staying in Deiva Marina:
The Hotel Clelia Logis d'Italia lies between the Cinque Terre and Portofino and offers
first-class hospitality to tourists visiting the Eastern Ligurian Riviera and Northern Tuscany.
The hotel has rooms and a suite, offered with B&B, half or full board service as well as an a la carte restaurant.
The hotel also has holiday apartments in Deiva Marina and the Cinque Terre.
Tourist information, maps of the surroundings and of the paths, leaflets,
brochures on Versilia and Garfagnana are available at the hotel reception.
Contact details and a booking service are available on this website
or at www.hotelclelia.tel and www.hotelcleliabooking.com.