National Park of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines

The Parco Nazionale dell'Appennino Tosco - Emiliano, created in 1988 covers 23,000 hectares from the Lagastrello pass to the Forbici Pass, down to the Secchia River valley floor. This vast area includes some of the highest peaks of the Northern Apennines: Mount Cusna, Mount Prado and Alpe di Succiso, featuring rare botanical and animal species typical of high mountain areas. The five municipalities of the mountain ridge are inside the park: Busana (headquarters of the park), Collagna, Ramiseto, Ligonchio and Villa Minozzo.

Flora

Vegetation between 900 m and 1,800 m is mainly made up of large beech woods, woods with conifers and chestnut trees and rich grassy undergrowth. Willows, poplars and alders can be found along the many waterways. The landscape changes on the mountain ridge opening up to vast meadows and blueberry moors interrupted by rock outcrops covered with rocky plants typical of this environment. Rare species such as white cotton grass and sundew grow in the peat bogs.

The park, in the heart of the Emilian Apennines, offers visitors a number of interesting sites and spectacular natural beauties: the Abetina Reale, one of the most striking woods in this protected area located on the right side of the Dolo reservoir, the glacial lakes Gora and Gonella, the glacial Mesca lake, the cirque and lake of Mount Acuto, Alpe di Succiso and Mount Casarola, Pietra Tagliata Pass, the springs of the Secchia River, the panoramic Pratizzano Pass, Mount Ventasso and lake Calamone, Parco Flora di Cervarezza, the Schiocchi (smoothand steep rock walls) of the Secchia River, the Canalaccio stream, the lakes of Cerreto home to the precious round-leaved sundew, the Schiocchi of the Riarbero stream, the small cave of the Torbido stream, Mount Cavalbianco, Mount Sillano, Comunella Pass, the Schiocchi of the Ozola stream, Lavacchiello waterfalls, Prati di Sara with the small Caricatore lake, Bargetana lake, the Lama Lite Pass of archeological interest, Mount Ravino-Alpe di Vallestrina chain, Case Cattalini and Case di Civago.

Fauna

The park is home to a number of interesting wildlife animal species. In fact there have been isolated sightings of wolves and otters, a very rare species. Other wild animals that can be sighted in this are include roe deer, deer, fallow deer, mouflons, squirrels, shrews, filed mice, voles, dormice, marmots and predators such as foxes, beech-martens, polecats, weasels and badgers. Avifauna includes the greatest and most varied number of species of the park. According to the season and habits of the animals it is possible to sight the water-pipit, alpine accentor, lark, linnet, black redstart, swift, kestrel, buzzard, royal eagle, honey buzzard, goshawk, dipper and jay.

Some amphibian species of interest can also be found in this park such as the common frog and alpine newt; reptiles include the common wall lizard.

Parco Nazionale dell'Appennino Tosco-Emiliano

Headquarters
Via Comunale, 23
54010 Sassalbo di Fivizzano (MS)

Visitor centres

Agriturismo Montagna Verde
Via per Apella, 1
54016 Licciana Nardi (MS)
Tel. +39 0187 421203 - 392 9963407
info@montagnaverde.it

Agriturismo Valle dei Cavalieri

Via Caduti XXV Novembre, 46
42030 Ramiseto (RE)
Tel. + 39 0522 892346
info@valledeicavalieri.it

Locanda Il Castagno

Via G. Pascoli, 17
55030 Giuncugnano (LU)
Tel. +39 0583 615025
info@locandailcastagno.it

Rifugio Lagdei

Tourist information

Tourist Board and Museo del Sughero
Piazza 1° Maggio, 1
Cervarezza Terme-Busana (RE)
Tel. +39 0522 890655
museodelsughero@unionecomuni.re.it

Tourist Board - Castelnovo ne' Monti 
Via Roma, 33
Castelnovo ne' Monti (RE)
Tel. +39 0522 810430
Fax: +39 0522 812313

Tourist Board - Reggio Emilia
Piazza C. Prampolini, 5
Reggio Emilia
Tel. +39 0522 451152
iat@municipio.re.it

Link

Parks.it

Ermes Ambiente

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