The best traffic-free bike rides around Varese Ligure

The Passo della Cappelletta (1,085 m a.s.l.) is a charming Apennine pass located on the border between Emilia-Romagna (province of Parma/Piacenza) and Liguria. It is famous for its imposing wind turbines and its proximity to Monte Gottero.

A beautiful mountain pass at 1,400 meters. There's a refuge, a small chapel, a monument—in short, everything you'd expect in a place like this. There's even a small clothing store. The only thing that's jarring is the constant noise of a combustion engine, which I assume is a generator for the refuge's operation.

Situated at 717 meters above sea level, Santa Maria del Taro is a hamlet in the municipality of Tornolo (province of Parma), nestled in the heart of the Northern Apennines, near the border between Emilia and Liguria. Since the early Middle Ages, its strategic position along the ancient ridge road connecting the sea to the Po Valley has made it a transit and trade center, as well as a military and commercial control point. The name itself recalls the religious devotion that has permeated the town for centuries: the church-sanctuary dedicated to the Nativity of Mary, rebuilt in neoclassical style between 1807 and 1834, stands on an older structure and has been the spiritual center of the upper Taro Valley for centuries. The building, with its broad façade and stone bell tower, preserves a deep devotional tradition that is still alive. A short walk from the center is the Ponte dei Priori, a medieval humpbacked stone structure that once served as the only permanent access to the valley and symbolically marked the passage between the lands of the Malaspina and Fieschi families, two powerful feudal families of the Apennines. Over the centuries, Santa Maria del Taro has maintained an identity suspended between Emilian and Ligurian culture, evident in the features of its rural architecture, local dialects, and popular customs.

The Rifugio Casermette del Penna (1,400 m) is located within the Aveto Park, in a beautiful beech forest at the foot of Mount Penna, where the Forestry Corps barracks once stood. Renovated sustainably using local wood, photovoltaic panels, and a biomass boiler, the refuge offers 25 beds in both rooms and dormitories, as well as home-cooked meals prepared using local produce. Today, it is a popular destination for hikers, families, and groups, thanks in part to the large green lawn in front of the building: in summer, it's ideal for relaxing in the sun, picnicking, or letting children play freely. The location is perfect for exploring the trails of Mount Penna, the Lago Penna loop, the Pennino forests, or tackling more technical climbs to the rocky peaks. In winter, it's an ideal base for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

The Rifugio Faggio dei Tre Comuni (1,400 m), opened in 2011, is located in a beautiful clearing among the beech forests of the Ligurian-Emilian Apennines, at the symbolic meeting point of the municipalities of Bedonia, Tornolo, and Santo Stefano d'Aveto. Built of wood and concrete, it offered approximately 20 beds and was managed by the Parma branch of the Italian Alpine Club (CAI). Unfortunately, with the agreement between the CAI and the Unione Montana (Mountain Union) having expired, the refuge is now closed and abandoned. A real shame: if the facility were reopened at least during the summer months, it could once again become an ideal base for hiking and biking excursions to Monte Trevine, Monte Penna, and the source of the Taro River. The beauty of the site remains intact, and the refuge's clearing is a perfect stop for a break in the silence of the forest.

Near the hamlet of Sega, on the slopes of Mount Penna, lies the Taro River dam, built in the early 1900s to power the valley's hydroelectric power plants. Built in 1917–18 and renovated several times, the dam is still operational today, regulating the river's flow upstream from the Santa Maria del Taro and Strinabecco power plants. Nestled in a quiet, wild valley, the reservoir is a small jewel of industrial archaeology, perfectly integrated into the mountain environment. A site that tells an important story in the history of energy in the Apennines, it remains an active part of the Ligurian and upper Taro Valley hydroelectric network.

The Taro River's sources are located on the slopes of Mount Penna, at approximately 1,500 meters above sea level, in the heart of the Ligurian Apennines, within the Taro and Ceno Valleys Park. Here, in a cool beech forest, several springs merge to form the river's first rivulets. The Taro River originates as an Apennine torrent and flows for over 120 km toward the Po River, crossing valleys, plains, and areas of great natural beauty. Its course is known for its high biodiversity and the presence of well-preserved river environments, protected by protected areas and nature reserves.

beautiful excursions, simple and suitable for all levels, good opportunities to taste local products