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Hotel La Valle: Outskirts
Cutigliano
Cutigliano ( 700 mt. above sea level), historic town in the heart of
Montagna Pistoiese, is the centre from which to set out on the discovery of its evocative outskirts, rich in nature, art and culture. In an atmosphere rich with woods, prairies, torrents, and protected, uncontaminated oasis such as the
Campolino biogenetic reserve or the Pian di Novello botanical garden, it is possible to discover Montagna’s flora and fauna. An accurate map of the paths, allows for excursions ob foot, on horseback and on mountain bikes, or visits guided forest experts or by the trekking group.
A very modern lift, facing a breath-taking view, connects Cutigliano to the
Doganaccia (1400-1600 mt) ski resort and departure point of summer excursions to
Lake Scaffaiolo. In the outskirts are picturesque villages, rich in history and art, and easily reached, such as
San Marcello, Piteglio, Gavinana,
Maresca and Rivoreta, centre of an important ethnologic museum of the peoples of Montagna, or
Abetone, a very well known ski resort. Nature meets culture, and from Cutigliano you can reach, all within 70 km, Tuscany’s great art cities:
Pistoia (35 km), Lucca (50 km), Firenze (70 km),
Pisa (70 km), matching the peace of Montagna with Tuscany’s great and unique culture.
Abetone
Abetone is located in the high Montagna Pistoiese, in the high valley of the
Sestaione at an altitude of 1388 mt. above sea level, near the border with
Emilia Romagna and rises near the pass of the same name
Passo dell'Abetone. Behind it is the Alpe delle Tre
Potenze, among the highest summits of the region (1940 mt.), and minor peaks such as
Monte Gomito (1825 mt.) and the Selletta (1720 mt.), while in front is the majestic
Libro Aperto (1937 mt).
The territory of Abetone has always been a pass of the Apennine, so much so that it is said to have been used even by
Hannibal in order to enter into Etruria. In fact, the ski area of Abetone plays part of the Passo d'Annibale (Hannibal’s Pass) at the height of 1798 mt. above sea level.
In 1776 construction of the road uniting Granducato di Toscana with the Ducato di Modena was begun. It was inaugurated May 1, 1781. During the construction an Abete (spruce tree) was cut down – it was so large that that six people could not get their arms it – and from that, was born the name Abetone.
Abetone is the main centre of the ski area of the same name, made up of nearly 50 Km of slopes and runs, for a total of 30 runs, served by 22 lift systems managed by the Multipass consortium. The ski resort is divided into
three main areas: the first area, toward the Tuscan side of Abetone, is made up of historic Abetone slopes comprised of two blue runs for beginners Selletta and Chierroni, two easy slopes which run through the middle of the woods, and the Riva, a red slope suitable for anyone that arrives at almost 1200 mt. Besides that, there are some variants that connect different runs, like the red Foresto that connects the Selletta and the Riva. The area is served by a careening two-seat ski lift.
The second area is made up of slopes toward the Emilia side of the town: includes Abetone’s three best known runs, Zeno, designed by the ski champion
Zeno Colò (the runs, one black and two red, are suitable for everyone, they unwind through the woods from a height of nearly 1820 mt. to around 1300 mt.), the simple and entertaining Pulicchio and the Stucchi, a nice run of medium difficulty. The systems are two ski lifts, one with benches on one with a large cable car.
The third area includes the runs of the val di Luce, site of wide and well-lit slopes, it is made up of three main runs (Passo d'Annibale, Alpe delle tre Potenze, Celina Seghi) of easy or medium difficult and is served by three four-seat ski lifts and one two-seater. Today the Abetone is considered the most distinguished ski resort among those of the Apennine.
In the summer, Abetone is known for the ample possibility of summer sports. Of particular interest is the high-altitude walks both toward Monte Gomito as well as
Monte Cimone. The medium-difficulty, up-hill walk toward Libro Aperto is very beautiful. Abetone is moreover a centre equipped for mountain-bike trips, tennis and soccer.
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