I was driving in Garfagnana in the middle of April and the weather was kind of crazy: sun, rain, warm and cold in the same day! I don’t know why I wasn’t prepared for that as this is normal in the beginning of the Spring season in Italy. Before you ask me: Spring officially starts on March 21st and ends on June 21st. So, if you are traveling in the same period, I advise you to dress like an onion: t-shirt, pullover and a heavy coat.
The route to get to Castelnuovo is a part of the trip: narrow road by the river with the mountains around you, ancient Tuscan houses… I bet you’ll stop to take pictures as I did (the Devil’s bridge is a must!).
The main attraction of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana is the Rocca Ariotesca, a fortress built in the 11th century and the home of the poet Ludovico Ariosto: between 1522-55 he was the Governor of the province of Garfagnana.
My last advice is about food: you’d better arrive early for lunch. I was able to get a table at Trattoria Marchetti because I arrived at 12.30: most tables were reserved and I wouldn’t have had the possibility to eat a delicious local food if I had arrived 10 minutes later.
This trattoria was an excellent tip of an old lady I met for the first time some minutes earlier! Well, maybe the best advice is that you spend at least 4 days at Castelnuovo so you’ll have time to live Garfagnana the slow way, maybe add a picnic at Fortezza delle Verrucole or a trekking day in the National parks around there.
Click here for more information about Castelnuovo di Garfagnana.
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We wanted to go to Garfagnana for a few days last month but the weather was bad. I had a hard time finding good information about the area. Glad you guys are featuring it!
don't mess Barga!!! It's a lovle place…
@Gloria
It's good to know you're interested in Garfagnana. I'll try to write more about it here at AroundTuscany
@Cristina Pagani
You're right! Barga is a good option and it's really close to Castelnuovo (about 15km = 9 miles)
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[...] for more information about Garfagnana, a beautiful area here in Tuscany. You can read our article Drive around in Garfagnana, watch the video and now see the best pictures of Barga! As our dear reader Cristina Pagani said, [...]