A while ago guest poster Belinda took us on a walk from Ponte a Serraglio to Pieve di Monti di Villa to lunch at Rifugio Fiori.
I’m not much interested in walking up steep hills, so I decided to do it in reverse. Three of us got a lift up to Pieve di Monti di Villa to the lunch spot. It was a gorgeous day, so we happily sat outside.
…just as well, it was crowded inside.
We ordered the mixed grill…very good….and the torta della Nonna.
We were advised to take the gentle track down to Ponte a Serraglio. We headed off up the road a bit and took the road down to the church. It is always good to walk through Pieve di Monti di Villa.
Beside the church we found the track towards Ponte a Serraglio.
It was a bit overgrown, but not too bad.
In many places there was a rock path lined with wild flowers and gorgeous spring flowering trees.
We passed some old gates. There must have been a sizeable house here once.
We also passed some dry stone walls, no doubt part of the same property.
We walked under a gorgeous oak tree.
We passed a stream and a little waterfall.
Some of the time we walked on the road because the path was too overgrown, but that was good too.
Soon we came to the crossroad where the road goes to Riolo.
We passed the overgrown church.
We wandered down past the old chairlift. I would love to see this operating.
Lots of people were enjoying themselves at Villagio Globale.
Just before we reached the river we passed a wall of wildflowers.
Finally we arrived at Ponte. If you want to do the uphill walk, look for this sign opposite the walking bridge.
If you are looking for a great walk, this could be the one for you. You walk under the cover of the forest most of the way, so it is not too hot. The downhill walk is easy and the views are gorgeous.
Click here to see the winter walk.
Bella Bagni di Lucca 
What a wise old Oak tree and a fairytale post! Beautiful!
It was a magnificent, perfect for a walk in Bagni di Lucca.
And you know how I love a nice walk!
It must have been a very pleasant excursion… And that cake looks delicious! I would say that the abandoned chairlift is possibly part of the remains of the “teleferica” built by Jean Varraud for his tannin industry at the beginning of the past century. It used to cover 120 km!
http://www.luccaimprese.it/cenni-storici-sull-economia/settori-economici/chimica-e-farmaceutica/
Che sito informativo. Grazie.
Dina – Australia – nata a Bagni di Lucca
Such a beautiful walk and a terrific lunch. I wonder if it’s a little less overgrown now the big group went up to Graniola and back this past weekend? I’ll have to find out! Thanks for sharing your great photos.
I’m sure a few more people walking the track would open it up a bit. It is a lovely walk.
What lovely memories Debra. For many years my first cousin used to be a postman that took the mail from Ponte to Monte di Villa and surrounding areas. Originally he travelled on foot, then on a bicycle and in the latter years by car. He had some wonderful stories to tell about the people he encountered. Sadly he passed away far too young.
His daughter and her family (my second cousin) restored an old house and have lived in Monte di Villa for many years. The views are stunning!
That would have been a tough call doing the rounds on foot or a bicycle! It is a nice walk, but I’m not sure it would be much fun on a wet winter day.
What a fabulous way to spend a day. Love the wisteria
It was a magnificent day.
Oh! I agree Deb… down is so much easier! What a lovely way to spend a sunny day.
It could not have been a better day for a walk in the hills.
Will be back soon. Very excited about the reopening of Rifugio Fiori. Thanks for another great post on a village that is near and dear to me.
It is very good that it is open. As you can see, it was very busy the day we were there.
Spectacular! …. A pre-walk meal is good … but not walking there is even better. 😉
I’m sure the uphill walk would be great, just not for me.
… and I don’t think I would like it either.
Wow, sounds like a perfect day! I love your photos. I’ll have to add this to my to do list! I will arrive in Bagni in one week. 🙂 I hope to see you soon.
I hope you get to do some of the great walks in the area. See you soon.
Bela caminhada …. Debra não sai delá. como ea curte. m.
It was an excellent walk, thank you for your visit.
Debra,
Such beautiful photos! Rifugio Fiori used to be the school house built by Adamo Lucchesi in 1918. When he came back from Alto Parana e Chaco, where he explored the Iguazu Waterfall in 1910. That is where I went to elementary school. Looks like it was converted into a restaurant! Keep up the great work, you’re doing an outstanding job.
Thank you for the history of this building. I think Pieve di Monti di Villa is a delightful village. It must have been a great place to grow up.
Grazie, Armando. I thought about the school house aspect after I wrote my reply. However, I didn’t know that Adamo Lucchesi built the school. My family always talked about going to school there. I know times were tough and life was hard in those days. I am grateful that through the struggle and hard work of our families who left there, we now have the ability to return as vacationers to enjoy the beauty of those mountains.
Good to hear the history of places where we were born. Thank you.
That looks like great little rustic restaurant to try – I think we’ve been there before but not for at least 6 years if its the same place i’m thinking of, and a great walk back to Bagni.
There are new people in the Rifugio and they are doing a great job.
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Debra, Thanks so much for posting about this lunch spot and scenic walk! We recently discovered my husband’s great-grandmother/father, Amaddio Lucchesi and Cesira Guaspari, came from Pieve di Monti di Villa. We were excited to finally have this family detail, and so we planned a trip to visit Pieve di Monti di Villa the first week of April (soon!) to experience it for ourselves. This walk seems like a nice way to see the area of his ancestors. It should hopefully be a beautiful time of year to do the walk, with everything starting to bloom. We’re also bringing his mother so she can experience it, too. She was the only biological child of Dionisio (Donald) Lucchesi. Rifugio Fiori looks like a hidden gem, so thanks also for the information on the restaurant. I hope it is open–I think it is still since I found a relatively recent review from 5 months ago. Fingers crossed!
Question–Do you know if the church is open at all? I had been in touch with Ann Barsi to get some more family tree information, and for that, I had to pledge to donate to the church. We definitely would love see the inside of the church his great-grandparents were married in, as well as make the donation. Grazie mille!
How wonderful that you are coming to Bagni di Lucca and Pieve di Monte di Villa to discover your family history! April is certainly a lovely time to visit. Spring is beautiful here.
I don’t know about the church, but I can ask a friend who lives in the village. She is away at the moment, but will be back soon.
I am in Ponte a Serraglio now and go most mornings to Bar Italia for coffee. Perhaps I will see you there.
That would be wonderful if you could ask your friend for us. Thank you. It would also be great to see/meet you at Bar Italia–are you still going to be in town in a month?