the nearby area
in walking distance
Tereglio itself is delightful, and contains a grocery and a general store. It has also a post office, but this is open only for a few hours once or twice a week. There is a coffee bar/ice-cream shop and a good restaurant, La Crepa – where you probably collected the keys. A second restaurant, da Michele lies about two kilometers away along the road towards Lucignana, and also serves excellent and economical meals.
In the other direction, is Vitiana, another beautiful village, to which you can walk by following the road that leads in from the southwest After a kilometer or so, the road slopes off down to the left but there is a good path that continues along the ridge of the hill. This makes a pleasant evening walk.
There is a maze of other small paths that you can explore.
a short drive away
Orrido di Botri
The obvious nearby attraction is the Orrido di Botri, the 'awesome place' of Botri. I made the mistake of saying “Oh, just another gorge,” and ignoring it when I first visited here. But the Orrido di Botri is truly awesome – a magic world cut off by the extreme topography. It is a nature reserve managed by the Corpo Forestale (Forest Guard) and really worth a visit. It is open from June to September – and likely to be very dangerous at other times. The hike in the gorge entails two sections of wading knee-deep in icy water. .Get more information here. There is also a longer circuit in the reserve above the gorge.
monte Giovo and monte Rondinaio
Just a few kilometers away, these two peaks are at altitude 1992m and 1964m respectively. They are a part of the National Park and in the high valley on the other side of them are two significant lakes, the larger, Lago Santo is at 1500m above sea level. There are well blazed paths and the views once you are above the tree line are magnificent. You will find plenty of information on the web.
nearby villages
There are several mediaeval hilltop towns and villages nearby. All are picturesque and worth visiting. In particular, visit Lucignana by taking the road from the northeast end of the village which goes to Lucignana on the way to Gromignana and then to Coreglia Antelminelli.
And for a longer circuit, take the road down to the Orrido di Botri, and then continue on round the valley (on a dirt road, but quite passable in your hire car if you take it slowly) to Montefegatesi. Montefegatesi is another unique hill village, with a charming town square off which are a couple of cafés, and an interesting walk up to the Dante monument, located at the high point of the village. From here is a wonderful panoramic view of the area including Tereglio. From Montefegatesi, you can continue on to look at the three villages of Monti di Villa and on down to Bagnicaldi, or fork left and make a tour skirting the great rounded form of Prato Fiorito (a smooth curving mountain) down to S. Cassiano, and thence down to the Lima valley. If you have set off early enough, you can now drive on up the Lima and then to the ski resorts at Abetone, after which you will have to retrace your route, or if not, you can turn right down the Lima to return via Bagni di Lucca.
local towns
The three nearest towns of interest are Bagni di Lucca, Coreglia Antelminelli, and Barga.
Bagni di Lucca
Just 10 km south of Tereglio, Bagni di Lucca is an extended string of four centres.
- Fornoli, a more modern town with a street market Tuesday and Friday, a supermarket and Post Office, Bank, computer shop, several café-bars, etc.
- Ponte a Seraglio, the gateway to the Spa Town. The oldest casino in Europe, now a tourist information office and internet point, is on the road entering Ponte a Seraglio. It is a fine old building where the volunteer staff will be delighted to take you on a brief tour.
- Bagnicaldi, with the Spa that everybody who was anybody, from Napoleon's Court to Shelley, used to frequent
- Bagni di Lucca, roughly speaking, everything else: municipal offices, lawyers, estate agents, restaurants, cafés, shops…
Coreglia Antelminelli
To the north, some 14 km away, is Coreglia Antelminelli. The old centre of Coreglia is a delightful maze of walking streets. There are two bars and a restaurant, post office and shops, and the camping site also has a restaurant. Coreglia has an annual mediaeval festival, and various other events.
Barga
Beyond Coreglia, the other side of the Ania valley is Barga, cultural hub of the area. Barga boasts a theatre, at which there are a host of musical, operatic and other performances through the summer. The town is an arts centre, with many painters and craftsmen, including the famous Scottish artist, John Belany. The beautiful old town was a Medici centre, and has several interesting churches and an extraordinary cathedral. Both the old and new parts of the town have good restaurants, and a variety of shops. There is a constant stream of events and festas. You are likely to visit Barga more than once in your stay.
shops
As already mentioned, there is a Co-op supermarket in Fornoli, as well as a baker and a range of other shops. There are a few shops in Coreglia (butcher, grocers, stationers and newsagents, etc.) and a wide range in Barga, including a 'Conad' minimarket. Barga also has a petrol station. For a bigger range of shops, go to the high street in Fornaci di Barga. Fornaci is in the valley below Barga. There is a large supermarket (LeClerc) in Gallicano, just across the valley if you go down from the new town of Barga. Other shops are in Ponte al'Ania (between Fornaci and Piano di Coreglia).
markets
- monday
- (-)
- tuesday
- Fornoli - nearby and excellent for fruit and veg. also a good fish stall and good cheese, salami, etc. Clothes and shoes too.
- wednesday
- Bagni di Lucca - some stalls as in Fornoli, also hardware, flowers, etc., Gallicano - good prices
- thursday
- Castelnuovo di Garfagnana - a huge market
- friday
- Fornoli local and good (see above), Fornaci di Barga - large market and plenty of shops for other purchases too.
- saturday
- Barga - clothing, food,... , Bagni di Lucca
other services
The local hospital is in Barga. Post offices are in Barga, Coreglia, Fornoli… Petrol stations in Barga, Piano di Coreglia, Fornoli, Mologno (on the way from Barga to Gallicano), Gallicano. LPG is available from the petrol station on the road south from Galicano.
