Casentino Forests National Park
Beech, maple, ash, elm, and linden: the Foreste Casentinesi National Park is one of Italy’s greenest national parks and one of Europe’s most pristine forest areas.
Beech, maple, ash, elm, and linden: the Foreste Casentinesi National Park is one of Italy’s greenest national parks and one of Europe’s most pristine forest areas.
The National Park covers an area of approximately 36,000 hectares, spanning the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. The area includes the Apennine Mountains and the provinces of Arezzo, Florence, and Forlì-Cesena.
Flat here, steep and rugged there
On the Tuscan side, this vast natural paradise is characterized by forests, chestnut groves, pastures, and cultivated fields, and is known as the flatter side. The Romagna side, on the other hand, is dominated by steep slopes covered in dense forest. Here and there, the landscape reveals patches of bare rock and abandoned farmland, some with churches and old, uninhabited villages.
Activities for every taste
This diverse landscape offers a wide range of activities for sports and nature enthusiasts, all year round. In summer, the National Park offers over 600 kilometers of hiking trails, while in winter, cross-country skiers can enjoy a network of over 650 kilometers of trails. The Foreste Casentinesi National Park is also the ideal place for snowshoeing, mountain biking, horseback riding, and kayaking.
Fun facts about the park
With a little luck, visitors to the park may encounter its wildlife. Birdwatchers have a good chance of spotting bullfinches, blackcaps, buntings, and similar species. This natural paradise is also known for its romantic waterfalls, such as the Acquacheta, which is said to have been described by Dante in *The Divine Comedy*. To learn more about the national park’s flora and fauna and its values and objectives as a protected area, you can visit one of the visitor centers, including those in Badia Prataglia, in the province of Arezzo; Bagno di Romagna, in the province of Forlì-Cesena; and Londa in Florence.