The story of an excursion to Mount Forato along the easy path that starts from Fornovolasco, indicating the travel times and what you can see.

Fornovolasco Monte Forato

On a beautiful September day we decide to make the trip to Monte Forato, which is always part of the Apuan Alps chain.

Aware of the strong difference in height that awaits us, we take our backpacks and leave by car for Fornovolasco, a pretty village located among the rocks near the famous Grotta del Vento.

We travel about 45 km from Lucca in the direction of Gallicano where we continue a few more kilometers on a very narrow road, in some places dug out of the rock, before reaching the destination.

We park our car in the main square of the village which also acts as a parking lot and, having put on our boots, we take the backpacks and we start off, starting from an altitude of 480 m.

The signs of the paths placed at the beginning, give 2 hours of travel time, but driven by our passion of walkers, we hope to put even less.

We choose the steeper but more direct path, the n ° 12 which, very well maintained, makes us go up quickly, first crossing beech woods and then arriving at a metato at 933 meters above sea level.

From there we continue and the landscape becomes more and more beautiful.

summit

We reach the top of Forato (1223 m) after 1 hour and 45 minutes I walk there.

We admire the characteristic natural arch formed by natural erosion of the rock due to wind and rain.

On the opposite side we clearly see the Versilia side, with the villages of Cardoso, Pruno and Volegno in the foreground.

Recommended readings

• Artimino (Tuscany): what to see
• San Galgano (Tuscany): what to see
• Poggibonsi (Tuscany): what to see
• Castiglione di Garfagnana (Tuscany): what to see
• Tuscany: Sunday day trips

We climb a few meters higher to our right up to a cross, from where you can admire the peaks around including the Pania della Croce, m 1859, Dead man, dry Pania, Procinto, Matanna, Nona, Altissimo and other minor ones, with a beautiful view to the sea.

Really a beautiful summit that of Monte Forato (m. 1223) which, although being among the lowest compared to those around it, offers a truly unique view.

Hermitage of Calomini

In an hour and a quarter we return to Fornovolasco and from here, getting back in the car, we go down to the valley, but before returning we decide to make a short stop at the characteristic Hermitage of Calomini, an ancient convent of friars carved out of the rock.