The town of Fiumalbo is just across the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. The town is particularly known in the area as lively cultural center of the Apennine and in its historic center it preserves numerous examples of medieval mountain architecture. The village is made up of narrow stone pavements, old churches and palaces with frescoed rooms. Interestingly worth visiting is also the Museum of Sacred Art housed in the Church of St. Catherine built in the 17th century.
Fiumalbo’s position, between the two regions, makes it an ideal starting point for many excursions both in summer and winter. Although it does not have its own ski slopes, it is very close to the ski area of Abetone, which allows skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing. During the summer season, however, it becomes the final destination of several excursions headed first on the top of the mountains and then in its historic center.
Located at about 1.540 m above sea level, between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, Val di Luce is a territory of just 9 square kilometers but with an immense naturalistic value. It is placed just a few km from Abetone and is easily accessible both by car and by foot or by bike along the local trails. The valley was once completely uninhabited and frequented from time to time by shepherds, but today it has become an tourist resort open all year long.
Since the second half of the 1930s, Val di Luce has been undergoing major transformations. There are now 6 ski lifts, serving about 14 km of ski slopes. Given its isolated location, the valley is much loved by hikers and skiers who want to immerse themselves in nature. The ski slopes and the trails are indeed particularly suggestive, silent and quiet.
Cutigliano is a small but modern town located a few km from Abetone. It is one of the historic villages of the Mountains of Pistoia, whose origins date back to the Middle Ages. At that time the town was also the seat of the Captain of the Mountain, and to this are due the beautiful buildings that characterize the old town. Along Via Roma there are in fact the Palazzo dei Capitani di Montagna and its Renaissance loggia. On the square of the town hall you can admire even a fifteenth century church still in excellent condition.
Cutigliano is immersed in a beautiful natural landscape that can be appreciated both in summer and winter. There are in fact some ski slopes of varying length and difficulty that in summer are exploited by hiking, skiing and mountain biking. The local trails allow you to visit the smallest and most distant places from the center and the most authentic of mountain life.
Abetone is a locality of the Tosco-Emilian Apennines, well-known for the beauty of the natural landscape surrounding it and for the 50 km of ski slopes. The town itself is truly enchanting: originally developed as a frontier outpost at the borders of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, it has become a tourist destination since the late nineteenth century.
Whether summer or winter, Abetone offers many fun opportunities to spend your free time in contact with nature. The ski area of which it is part boasts 50 km of slopes all connected to each other and so easily accessible with just one ticket and no need to take off skis.There are trails ideal for all skiers, from the most experienced to beginners. In the summer the slopes are transformed into technical tracks to be tackled with mountain bikes in disciplines such as downhill and freeride. During the summer season you can also explore the territory along the trails and make a stop in the many mountain shelters for a refreshing break.
There is plenty of space at Abetone for those who do not attend ski slopes. In fact, it is also the ideal location for hiking with snowshoes. There are many paths to explore searching for corners of peace and tranquility in the heart of the forest surrounding the town.
From the Hotel Sport there are several paths that allow you to appreciate the nature of the mountain when it is resting and regenerating under a wonderful white mantle.
Hking with the snowshoes are always guided by an expert at the head of the group who knows the paths and the most beautiful scenic spots in the area.
Interesting to follow are also the two cross-country skiing rings that developed in the woods.
The ski slopes of the ski area of Abetone are perfect not only for skiing but also for snowboarding. Ideal as test ground to learn the discipline, the ski slopes of Abetone also squeeze the eye to the most experienced snowboarders already able to make acrobatic evolutions and jumps on the snowboard.
At their disposal there are two snow parks: one at Pulicchio and the other in Val di Luce. Both provide trails for beginners and experts. Snowboarding is a very popular and practiced discipline by those who attend Abetone in winter so often they organize national and international competitions.
Skiing is certainly the most practiced discipline in the Abetone Ski Area. Over 50 km of slopes, all connected by cableways and junctions, skiers can admire the landscape of the snow-capped mountain and appreciate the nature that characterizes it.
The ski slopes run silently and quiet through the local coniferous forest that extends from the valley to almost the top of the mountains.
At Abetone there are ski slopes for every level of skier experience: black (for the most experienced), red (middle level) and blue (for beginners). Each track is well-marked and often not far from hot shelter where to refresh between one descent and the other.
The Doganaccia 2000 Adventure Park is organized in a large green area at the foot of the Corno alle Scale, surrounded by the local beech forest as large as it is suggestive. Ideal for both adults and children, it allows to experience equilibrium and resistance skills along three paths suspended between the trees: blue (easy), green (medium) and red (difficult).
Each path is characterized by tibetan bridges, nets, trunks, staircases and ends with a fun ropeway that allows you to experience the thrill of free flying.
Also popular is the bob track that crosses the beech forest. About 700 m long the track is all curves and emotions.
Abetone Gravity Park is a very large area perfectly equipped for off-road disciplines such as freeride and downhill. The park is a real paradise for mountain bike enthusiasts and also for those who want to get closer to this sport.
Located a short distance from the Hotel Sport, the Gravity Park is characterized by the length of the trails, ranging from 3 to 6 km, and the wonderful mountain view that can be admired during the descent.
There are technical trails suitable for athletes who already know the discipline, and simple tracks, ideal for beginners, all served by the cable car used in winter by skiers. Those who arrive at Abetone without the bicycle can hire it in the park and receive some advice before heading off the mountain tops to the valley floor.
The territory of Abetone is characterized by a vast dense coniferous forest that in summer is perfect for hiking and panoramic excursions. Near the Hotel Sport is the departure of several well-marked and easy-to-follow trails, at least in the early sections.
Along them grow spontaneous shrubs and typically mountain flowers, and it is possible to collect cranberries, strawberries, raspberries and more. Hiking at Abetone means seeing wonderful scenery that, once you get to the mountain ridge, can reach the sea, leaving your eyes free to roam 360°.
Those who are intrigued by the mountain plants that meet at the footsteps of the most fascinating trails can visit the local Botanical Garden in the Sestaione Valley.
