Maybe you cannot find the sea in Emilia. But this triangle of land between the provinces of Parma, Piacenza and Reggio Emilia seems to overflow with water.
In some places, this territory divided between the plains and the Apennines offers enchanting views, destinations where waterfalls suddenly appear, diving from rocky walls to finish the dizzying descent into crystal clear lakes and natural pools.
With its vocation to the Slow mix, Visit Emilia is studded with unmissable places for those who love to discover spectacular and secret corners, and then start again their journey towards museums, castles and outposts of taste.
Those who visit Hemingway's Trebbia Valley near the enchanting village of Bobbio cannot miss the opportunity to discover the Carlone thermal waterfall, near San Cristoforo, with its source of salty-bromine-iodine-sulphurous waters rich in magnesium.
The dip in the stream ends in a thermal water lake with thermomineral properties and a saline source of brine, which in the 11th century was used by the monks of the nearby convent to heal skin diseases.
To reach it, starting from Bobbio, take via del Bargo and continue to the small hamlet of San Cristoforo about 6 km away, an ancient perched village of the 10th century, famous for its houses and roofs in local stone. From here on foot the marked path, an ancient connection with the Via del Sale, begins at a bend. At the crossroads, the climb leads to the goal.
Not too far away, the Mazzolini Collection Museum brings together, in a space inside the Abbey of San Colombano, a series of works by some of the greatest Italian artists of the twentieth century. Among these, the names of Giorgio De Chirico, Filippo De Pisis, Ottone Rosai, Lucio Fontana, Achille Funi, Piero Manzoni, Mario Nigro, Giò Pomodoro and Mario Sironi stand out.
The palate claims satisfaction in a day so far dedicated to eyes and spirit. It is therefore worth a delicious stop at the Agriturismo La Dolce Vite. Surrounded by the vineyards of the Piacenza hills, it overlooks the wonderful Val Trebbia, a stone's throw from the town of Travo. The kitchen is open for typical lunches, snacks and dinners and offers quality products, attention to detail and respect for tradition.
Walking along the ridge between the provinces of Parma and Piacenza, along the path that starts from the Pianazze pass, anyone who enters the valley of the Lardana stream will come across the Monte Ragola Site of Community Interest.
A beech forest helps to create the conditions for the scenographic re-emergence from the green vegetation near the slopes of Mount Camulara, where the Aquila Waterfall [Eagle Waterfall]- so called due to the ancient habit of this raptors to nest on the rocks that overlook it - is thrown between the stones sculpted by time.
In addition to the imposing black ophiolithic cliff more than 100 meters high, the surroundings offer significant points of interest, such as Bardi Castle, one of the greatest examples of military architecture in Italy, perched on a spur of red jasper for centuries. Walkways, Artillery Bastion, courtyard of honor, parade ground, ancient prisons and torture rooms throw a temporal bridge towards a distant era that marries the recent past thanks to the permanent exhibition "Novecento: Art and crafts of Eastern Europe - Ferrarini-Nicoli Collection ".
Not to far, on Via degli Abati, the Agriturismo Ca 'd'Alfieri is located, a food and wine laboratory specializing in chilli peppers and at the forefront of preserving the freshness and taste of products, mainly organic and coming from the company itself.
Announcing the Golfarone Waterfall in Calizzo di Villa Minozzo, jealously hidden by a particularly protective forest, is first of all the sound of the water, which thunders hidden from the rocks and trees. It can be reached with a short but enough difficult path, not very easy to find.
A 15-meter waterfall and the countless hops that characterize this pearl of Secchiello Valley have over the centuries created limpid natural pools, with the color of emerald, but not suitable for swimming.
For culture and history lovers, the Carpineti Castle stands out just over half an hour away, one of the founding elements of the fortified system of Matilde di Canossa. Its importance was such that it was here that the feudal lord decided to bring Pope Gregory VII after the famous episode of the withdrawal of the emperor's excommunication. Today an imposing ruin, the fortress still tells its story through the irregular plan of the wall and the mighty keep restored and equipped with an internal staircase to reach the top and observe the view.
You can find here also the complete itinerary to discover all the Canossa Castles.
Gourmets, on the other hand, have probably already marked the address of Podere Musiara in their diary, in Carpineti, a farm with a radical natural philosophy based on seasonality with woods, meadows, an orchard, a vegetable garden, a maroneto in production, a fenced forest that it hosts pigs of Cinta Senese, the habitat closest to that of the wild species. Here, you can buy chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, fruit compotes, salamis, sausages, ribs and chops.
