Parco Naturale della Alpi Apuane

Starting on the northern edge of Massa a winding road with panoramic views heads off in a generally west-to-east direction, across the forested chain of the Apuan Alps (made a National Park in 1985), to Castelnuovo di Garfagnana (42km/26mi). Towering up to the right is the usually snow-clad Pania di Croce (1,858m/6,097ft). Boccaccio was first to use the name "Alpi Apuane", derived from the Ligurian Apuans, to refer to this more than 60km/37mi-long range of mountains running parallel to the coast between the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines and the narrow coastal strip of Versilia. Covering an area of approximately 1,000sq.km/386sq.mi, the Apuan Alps include five peaks close to 2,000m/6,500ft - Monte Pisanino, Monte Cavallo, Sagro, Tambura and Pizzo d'Uccello, of which Monte Pisanino at 1,945m/6,383ft is the highest. With access to a wide area, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana makes an excellent base for hill-walking, mountain-biking and horse-riding.