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| Countryside near Bologna |
The Via Degli Dei
Over the past seven years I have been lucky
to walk many Italian hiking trails particularly in Umbria but also in Tuscany,
the Veneto, the Italian Dolomites and the Trentino. Some hikes have been
shorter day experiences while others, in particular the Via Francesco, in
stages from a week to 10 days which fit my travel schedule of five to six weeks
in Italy. While not all hiking trails are well marked with always the distinct
possibility of getting “lost,” the joy of hiking in such glorious, various
countryside and mountains is for me a bit of an addiction. The natural beauty
of the environment, the possibility of encountering elusive animals such as
bears or even a wolf, discovering sublime works of art even in tiny villages,
walking past and through sites of antiquity, the marvelous food, wine and
people is a wonderful whole, the totality of which I could not experience
anywhere else on earth!
On my recent trip to Italy in September/
October 2018 with almost a week set aside for a long distance hike, my friend
Abbie and I determined to walk the Via Degli Dei that straddles the provinces
of Emilia Romagna and Tuscany.
The Via Degli Dei is a dual -purpose trail
(hiking and mountain bike) between Bologna and Florence, in part along the route
of an ancient Roman military road through the Appenines, which can be
walked/ridden from either direction in 5 or 6 stages. After some research Abbie
and I decided to take it in 5 stages as the official website suggests can be
achieved but in retrospect it is ideally undertaken in six as the last leg is
exceptionally long. We bought the official map and guidebook as well as
downloading the Via Degli Dei app- an excellent resource and as neither of us
had yet been to Bologna this was an opportunity to at least walk through the
historical centre on route.
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| Bologna Colonade |
Stage
1 Bologna to Sasso Marconi
We began from Bologna train station later
than we would have liked after travelling from Florence, and at once bought a
map of the city to find Piazza Maggiore where the trail officially begins.
Unfortunately Abbie left her hiking poles on the train, which being critical
equipment for such a hike were essential so it was was lucky that we were in
Bologna and not out in the sticks when this was discovered. New poles purchased
and map in hand we set off through this most erudite and magnificent of
cities, centre of left wing politics and
home to one of the oldest universities in the world. Piazza Maggiore is
magnificent and it was hard to resist visiting its elegant and imposing palaces
and churches but deviating from our purpose after a late start and with more
than 20ks to walk was not a good idea!
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| Piazza Maggiore Bologna |
Bologna was certainly buzzing with
preparations for a bike race on that day, a wine festival, and book fair over
the weekend and we were delighted with the variety of markets and interesting
shops particularly in the colonades for which the city is famous. The trail led
us along an amazing 3.6 kilometre colonlade, which climbed steeply to the
Sanctuario of San Luca high on a hill overlooking the city. Volunteers
supporting the bike race were out sweeping, putting up bunting with a stream of
people climbing to get the best view of the action. It certainly was a testing
climb to begin the day and we also then climbed the church dome, a very scary
business but with the most fantastic view over the city, mountains and
countryside.
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| Longest colonnade in the world 3.8 kilometres |
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| From San Luca Dome |
Consulting a policeman re directions and
thankfully finding the way indicators almost at once we thereafter had no
difficulty as the trail is so well marked and maintained. For the next 10
kilometres we hiked through parks along the Reno river, passing a large bombed
out villa, bomb shelters and various memorials to local people who died during
WW2. Before beginning a steep climb into the mountains we passed a natural
oasis and bird sanctuary, which we were unable to visit due to extremely
restrictive visiting times. I suspect this may have something to do with the
spectacular and beautiful palatial home down the road, the owners of which
probably have significant influence regarding local traffic!
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| San Luca |
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| Along the River Reno |
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| River Park |
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| Section of Pliocene Spur |
Looming above us and extending for quite
some distance was a strange and massive sandstone cliff, the Pliocene Spur, a
natural rampart created by many cycles of sand and gravel sedimentation between
5 and 2 million years ago where Apennine streams emptied into a marine gulf.
The cliffs are thus rich in marine fossils.
Close by is a sad memorial to a group of 12 local men executed by the SS
in reprisal for the killing of two German officers.There are constant reminders
of the war in and around Bologna, which was a
significant centre of resistance to German occupation.
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| Memorial to local SS victims |
By now rain was threatening and we still
had a significant climb ahead. Soon it bucketed down while we plodded on and up
all the while hoping for rescue. We hadn’t thought to buy lunch in Bologna as
we assumed there would be villages along the route where we could stop for
coffee and panini; sadly not the case so we were both wet and very hungry.
Close to our destination, Abbie’s husband Andrew called and offered to pick us
up for which we were most grateful and it was fantastic to arrive at our lovely
BNB Nova Abora for hot showers, clean clothes and food at last!!
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| Reno River in heavy rain |
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| Nova Aboro |
Lessons
for the day: Always take a packed lunch and start early!
The Via Degli Dei Association is highly
organised with hiker and biker support
and provides a list of possible accommodation options for each stage of
the hike. On the first two nights we stayed at the delightful Nova Abora set in
a botanical garden near Sasso Marconi. There are acres of garden with many rare
plants, our host Donatella is a herbalist, and much of the breakfast fare,
including delicious bread is sourced from the property. Unfortunately we didn’t
have time to properly explore the garden but with a large, well equipped and
comfortable apartment and welcoming hosts I can certainly recommend it as an
excellent option for other hikers. Wet and cold we were even greeted with a
cheery open fire! Dinner that evening at a nearby trattoria was equally good
and empty tummies filled we returned to our BNB to prepare for Stage 2 and
sleep.
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