25th March, Lavagna – Given the favourable weather and the opening of several major sights (courtesy of the FAI days), is anyone up for exploring the Lavagna inland? This easy hike features the (recently renovated) slate trail that women in old times used to tread, when carrying the slate from the caves down to Lavagna, as well as one of major churches in Liguria, the romanic-gothic Basilica dei Fieschi. Be it because of the marble&slate decorated facade, or because of its historical importance (it was a symbol of the power of the pope), the church was ranked #1 in last year’s FAI contest on Italian monuments to protect.
On Saturday it will be possible to visit it with a guided tour, as well as climb up its bell tower (provided you book a spot at https://faiprenotazioni.fondoambiente.it/evento/abbazia-dei-fieschi-44900/ ; if you do, try to select a slot around 5:00pm!)
As for the hike, we’ll start from Santo Stefano basilica in Lavagna and follow slate trail #1, as described on
Once we reach S.Giacomo, we’ll turn left and head down to San Salvatore.
For going back to Lavagna, we’ll likely take the pedestrian path along the Entella river.
Hike has a vertical gain of 550 metres, takes around 3 hours and is rated as T/E (easy/medium).
How to get to Lavagna, and how to come back alive:
On Saturday, let’s meet at 12:35 at the entrance of Lavagna train station (if you wish to reach Lavagna earlier, you can consider taking the guided tour of Casa Carbone, which is also open to the public. I think we visited it some 8-9 years ago).
Recommended trains are
- if you’re travelling eastwards:
REG – Genova Piazza Principe 11:15 (Genova Brignole 11:24) Lavagna 12:27 - if you’re travelling westwards:
REG – La Spezia Centrale 11:50 – Lavagna 12:35 - if you’re travelling southwards:
REG – Milano Lambrate 8:37 – Lavagna 12:27
Return will be from Lavagna, around 18:30.
(*) if you’re coming from afar, you may consider getting the regional weekend pass for 22 euro. For some odd reason, Trenitalia decided to call it Weekend Insieme ( https://www.trenitalia.com/it/treni_regionali/promozioni-regionali/promo-weekend-insieme.html ) but you’re perfectly entitled to travel on your own.
As usual, if you have doubts, questions, Hamlet-like dilemmas… feel free to write me (at vidlothianATgmailDOTcom) or call me (at +39 329 7203364)
Liguriah 