Author Topic: Tuscany Emilia-Romagna border  (Read 3235 times)

Sarah Pitht

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Tuscany Emilia-Romagna border
« on: 16:14:06, 27/02/16 »
Hi Folks


We have booked a week's walking with Headwater on the Tuscan/Emilia-Romagna border for September. It's a one centre holiday with self guided walks. (Not sure I could stand walking in a group... :o )


Although Headwater will provide routes/maps etc when we get there, I don't think I'll survive without a bit of map/guidebook porn before I go :D


Do you have any recommendations of good books; maps at a decent scale - can you get 1:25000 of that area? Plus any experiences you have? I'd be interested in what kind of terrain to expect.


We will be staying in a village at 500m, so some height will already be gained. I think it's in the Apennines, but could be wrong on that...

Thanks!



« Last Edit: 16:52:29, 27/02/16 by Sarah Pitht »

maxmarengo

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Re: Tuscany Emilia-Romagna border
« Reply #1 on: 18:06:06, 03/03/16 »
You can get 1:25000 mapping on line from this site: http://www.pcn.minambiente.it/viewer/

You need to fiddle around a bit. Use cerca localita (magnifying glass) to find your location, zoom in, then to switch from satellite to map enter "Carta" in to Cerca servizio by the binoculars and click on Carta IGM scala 25000 at the bottom of the screen. The map style varies in different parts of Italy - it can look a little antiquated - but I think it has been kept up to date (ie. probably no more than 10yrs out of date on roads). In the country things don't change that quickly anyway.

mananddog

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Re: Tuscany Emilia-Romagna border
« Reply #2 on: 07:41:18, 04/03/16 »
I walked in this area regularly for about 6 years at least one week a years and a few times since. Mainly just inside the Tuscan side. The maps do look old and most of them are from out of date surveys. roads are improved on the maps but some paths are not up dated - at least they were not up to 8 yrs ago. However walking in the area has become much more popular and there are even sign posts these days. When I first went there in the mid 1990s you had to ask the locals where the paths went before you set out, mostly they were only used by hunters and mushroom gatherers, those who lived in the hills had no concept of going into the hills for a walk for pleasure.

Sarah Pitht

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Re: Tuscany Emilia-Romagna border
« Reply #3 on: 11:15:00, 04/03/16 »
Thanks Both.


Max - Thanks for the link. I am having a play with the map. I have managed to 'travel' to the area and zoom in to 1:25000. I can't seem to get it off satellite view, despite writing carta by the binocs. I'll keep having a go though. It's certainly improving my Italian!!!


Mananddog - you make me glad that we are being given routes etc when we get there! The village is Palazzolo sul Senio in case you know it and can advise.


I'll probably still invest in some form of paper map - to get an overview of the region, even if the detail is not there. We don't go till September so plenty of time to familiarise myself with the area.

mananddog

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Re: Tuscany Emilia-Romagna border
« Reply #4 on: 07:57:58, 06/03/16 »
Mananddog - you make me glad that we are being given routes etc when we get there! The village is Palazzolo sul Senio in case you know it and can advise.


I know it very well indeed. My mate's family have a little flat in Casaglia which is a lovely walk from Palazzuolo through what used to be an abandoned village of Lozzole - I think this has now been done up and someone lives here again - at least the last time I was there work was going on. I used to go there at least once a year for many years. The hotel at Colla de Casaglia use to do a  lovely Sunday lunch - very trad Italian. It is a great place to watch the big motor bikes trying out on the winding hill road. We walked over from Casaglia to Palazzuolo many times, I remember there being a very good ice cream shop there. If you have a car it is well worth parking at the Colla de Casaglia and walking on La Gigana - sensational views. My favourite time there is autumn - fewer people and lots of fungi and chestnuts.

Of all the great experiences I had there one I can always remember is coming nose to nose with a wild boar. I was scrambling up a rocky section and surfaced about 2 or 3 feet from the boars face - I don't know who was most surprised.

Enjoy it- the people there are great.

Sarah Pitht

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Re: Tuscany Emilia-Romagna border
« Reply #5 on: 12:30:10, 06/03/16 »
Thanks, mananddog- glad to hear positives as we pretty much picked it blind. The deserted village is on the itinerary - http://www.headwater.com/holidays/walking/italy/W07TP.htm#itinerary

When I get a chance I'll see if your other recommendations are there.

maxmarengo

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Re: Tuscany Emilia-Romagna border
« Reply #6 on: 20:24:55, 09/03/16 »
Try clicking on "grid" (3 to the right of the binoculars) twice. That makes the IGN maps appear for me!

Getting a paper map is a good idea but, without meaning to sound italophobic, the quality of the paper maps can be even worse than the on-line ones. It should not cause you any problems as long as you are prepared.

Sarah Pitht

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Re: Tuscany Emilia-Romagna border
« Reply #7 on: 17:11:21, 19/09/16 »
Bumping the thread to say thanks for advice etc and also that we are back from our break. :)


The travel company did provide a map as I thought they would - it was a local free map showing all the leisure routes and MTB trails. It was adequate but not great - no grid system, very blurry contours and lack of features. What I found better was a map I bought from Stanfords - an IGA 1:25,000 of the area which had a grid system, clearer features and was a bit easier too follow. I realise how lucky we are with OS and the standard of detail.


Hubby also treated himself to a GPS before going and downloaded a map of the area (or maybe even of Italy). This tallied with the grid system on my paper map which was good. And we had the GPX traces/routes of most of th explained walks from the company - although they were not always entirely accurate!!!


We loved the area. It provided such contrasts - at one moment you were in a shady track with beech, oak, hawthorn etc - the next out in parched dusty rocky terrain with juniper bushes and hundreds of crickets.


Much more wooded than the Lake District - possibly what Cumbria would be like without Herdwicks/being grazed. So instead of those big views where you can spot your route for the day - it was more peeps through the trees - quick snapshots.


As recommended by Mananddog, we went to Lozzole - an easy walk from the village. A great location - not quit like an Alpine refuge hut, but approaching that kind of feeling.


In general the walks were good - Lake District Light - nothing too steep or strenuous but long enough to give you a workout and to make us glad of a short day's walking too. The heat was pretty fierce for the first few days - this added to the tired feeling.


We'd definitely go back to the area and explore more - developing our own routes now that we know the area a bit - and the maps.


In the whole week we met only one party of walkers - an Italian group. The chap reckoned that most Italian walkers don't bother with the hills we were in - they prefer the Dolomites. Our gain indeed! O0


The only negatives were the dogs at the remote farms - they kick up a real noise as you approach and the odd one or two that got out (and 'nudged' my backside) certainly sent the adrenalin coursing through my body...  :o


All in all a good trip and if anyone wants the routes for GPS or more specific routes, I'm happy to oblige.


Just got a zillion photos to sort out now :D




 

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