This 24-hour itinerary is focused on springtime in the Sasso Simone and Simoncello Interregional Park.
The route follows the Tonino Guerra Trail (TG trail sign) and goes from the old town centre of Pennabilli to the valley between Mount Canale and Mount Carpegna, the source of the Messa stream.
The route offers fairy-tale atmospheres, waterfalls, biodiversity and Apennine panoramas. We recommend taking the time to visit Pennabilli and its places linked to Tonino Guerra (including Orto Frutti Dimenticati (Forgotten Fruit and Vegetables), to complete the experience of nature and culture.
Suitable for experienced hikers with good orientation skills. Not suitable for families with young children or novice hikers.
Technical info
Tip
The trail is walkable all year round, but spring (March-May) is the ideal time to visit due to the weather conditions and because he wild orchids are in bloom.
You set off from the old town centre of Pennabilli, the ‘City of the Soul’ as envisioned by Tonino Guerra, where stone alleyways open out onto the surrounding Apennine landscapes and you can smell wild herbs and resin in the air.
Leave the village and follow the TG trail markers towards Billi and Ca' Berbece and the forest road to Lago della Gaudia.
Century-old beech and oak woods envelop you in a silence broken only by the gurgling of the first streams, in a landscape that Guerra described as “the childhood of the world” – a primeval Eden of moss, ferns and light filtering through the foliage.
Must-see
Tonino Guerra’s “Luoghi dell'Anima” (Places of the Soul) An open-air museum consisting of seven locations, five in the old town and two in the hamlets of Castello di Bascio and Ca' Romano.
This trail reaches the point where Valle Orsaia and Fosso Paolaccio meet, in the municipality of Pennabilli, at the foot of Monte Carpegna (1,415 m).
Here you will find the natural amphitheatre of the Cascatelle del Canaiolo: two waterfalls nestled amidst limestone rocks and riverside vegetation. The area is characterised by wetlands, ferns and mosses, which are particularly lush in spring, and dense beech and fir forests that dominate the horizon. A fairytale corner, echoing with absolute peace, which will give the lucky visitors the chance to enjoy and immortalise the joyful “dancing” rainbows.
The stretch along the stream bed is short but can be slippery, especially if you are walking there after it has rained.
From the viewpoint, you can see the wooded slopes of Mount Carpegna with windswept ridges and upland pastures visible from higher altitudes.
Those who wish to prolong the excursion can continue on towards Gaudia, Villa Maindi or the Church of Madonna della Quercia, Casa Fanchi (Biodiversity Garden) and Molino Olivier, completing a larger loop.
Tip
Visit the waterfalls in the morning when the light is much gentler and Mount Carpegna becomes even more enchanting, conveying a sense of wild protection.
