Stazzema — Pruno Village Trail

The ridge between Stazzema and Pruno is ancient walking country — these mountain paths have been used for a thousand years by charcoal burners, shepherds, monks, and pilgrims. The route follows waymarked trails through extraordinary chestnut forests to the village of Pruno, perched below Monte Forato with one of the finest views in the Apuan Alps, before returning via high pastures and medieval farmsteads. Stazzema itself is worth arriving early to explore: the tiny mountain village was the site of one of WWII's worst Nazi massacres (August 12, 1944) and the Memorial Park and Museum are moving and important. The contrast between the horror of that history and the extraordinary beauty of the landscape is one of the most thought-provoking elements of any Versilian mountain visit. The trail to Pruno passes through working chestnut groves — in October, the forest floor is carpeted with fallen chestnuts, and local families gather them for the winter. The village of Pruno has an extraordinary position: backed by the white marble walls of Monte Forato, looking south across the entire Versilian coast to the sea.