The Path of Wool and Silk – Self-guided holiday

Info

From Bologna to Prato
The Path of Wool and Silk will take you along a wild and still unspoilt route from Bologna to Prato
through breathtaking landscapes and places steeped in history.
You will cross authentic villages with their ancestral traditions, grasslands inhabited by wild horses and places brimming with historical memories, witnesses to some of the most significant events of the Second World War.
As you follow the route undertaken by South African soldiers in their advance towards Bologna, you will come across various sites that still bear the indelible marks impressed by the conflict on these lands and in the memories of local communities. This walk represents a plunge into ancient traditions, revealing the beauty of a land that still able to keep its roots alive.

Standard Price:
650€ p/person in double room

What’s included:

• Guided tour of the historic center of Bologna and entrance to the Clock Tower;
• Welcome and briefing on the day of departure;
• Overnight stay with breakfast;
• Luggage transport from one facility to another - only 1 piece of luggage per person 55x40x20cm allowed
• Hiking map & guide scale 1:25,000 (1x group);
• Path of Wool and Silk trail passport (1 per person);
• Practice management fee;

Extras:

• Single room surcharge;
• Dinners, lunches, food, additional drinks and extras in general;
• Tourist tax where applicable (to be settled directly at the hotel);
• Transfer to and from Bologna and Florence;
• Transfers by public transport;
• Any transfers to skip one of the route stages if necessary;
• Anything not mentioned in the paragraph above.

Regulations:
A deposit of 130 euros per person is required at the time of booking, which will be confirmed and managed by Appennino Slow. 

In order to be sure to meet your requests, reservations should be sent at least 15 days in advance, 30 in June, July and August, and for departures close to bridges and holidays
 

Cancellation policies:
- up to 31 days before the start of the trip: 50 Euro per person for handling fee;
- 30 to 11 days before the start of the trip: 30% of the total amount of the tour package;
- 10 to 4 days before the start of the trip: 50% over the total amount of the tour package;
- to 3 to 0 days before the start of the trip: 100% with respect to the total amount of the tour package;

The organization of this tourist service is managed by Appennino Slow (IATR Sasso Marconi)
The sale of tourist services is managed by Bologna Welcome Travel Agency.

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PROGRAMME

Day 1 – Bologna
Arrival in Bologna by own means (train recommended), guided city tour with access to the central Clock Tower. Free day to explore the city and overnight stay in an hotel in the city centre.

Day 2 - Km 20 (Drop +/-: +230 m/ -200 m)
from Bologna to Sasso Marconi
Meeting with one of our representatives at the station, luggage handover and briefing on the trek. Departure to Sasso Marconi following Bologna's ancient waterways.
After crossing the city centre and its ancient waterways, following the Reno Canal, we will first reach the Parco della Chiusa and then make our way along the Reno River towards Sasso Marconi, walking past Palazzo de' Rossi and the iconic Vizzano Bridge, our very own
Brooklyn Bridge, eventually passing through the illuminist village of Colle Ameno before reaching Sasso Marconi.
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Day 3 - Km 25 (Drop +/-: +1100 m/ - 700 m)
from Sasso Marconi to Grizzana Morandi
Bypassing the strenuous climb to Monte Baco we will catch the train to Lama di Reno* (Marzabotto). Walking past the 12th-century Romanesque parish church of Panico and the DOC and DOCG vineyards of the Bolognese hills, we will reach the ridge between the Reno and Setta Valleys, stepping into Monte Sole Historical Park with its memorial sites and conquering the summit of Monte Sole. After crossing the park, the peaks and the famous Fienili di Campiaro, we will make our way to Grizzana Morandi.
*for safety reasons, a very short train ride is planned from Sasso Marconi to Lama di Reno (Marzabotto).
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Day 4 - Km 22 (Drop +/-: +900 m/ - 850 m)
from Grizzana Morandi to Castiglione dei Pepoli
Our hike continues along the ridge between the Reno and Setta valleys, where past and present intertwine to create one of the most sensational scenic stretches of the route!
On the way, we will cross medieval hamlets and typical thousand-year-old villages, chestnut woods, streams and brooks as far as the splendid square of Castiglione dei Pepoli, dominated by fascinating historic buildings.

Day 5 - Km 21 (Drop +/-: +900 m/ - 1000 m)
from Castiglione dei Pepoli to Vernio
We now stop on the borderlands between Emilia and Tuscany, heading towards Vernio, in the Bisenzio Valley, where a flourishing textile production is still carried out today. We will then pass through typical, mountain-style villages such as Rasora and Storaia, and Montepiano, one of the most renowned and popular tourist resorts in late 19th-century Tuscany.​

Day 6 - Km 20 (Drop +/-: +900 m/ - 950 m)
from Vernio to Vaiano
We must now leave the woods and fir forests behind to follow the typically karstic Calvana ridge path, rugged and rocky, once harbouring the riverbed of the ancient Bisenzio. An age-old place of transit and transhumance since Neolithic times, the ridge was used by the Etruscans for trade with Marzabotto (Kainua) and Bologna (Felsina). Moving on through Sofignano and Le Fornaci (from Roman times), we finally reach Vaiano.
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Day 7 - Km 22 (Dislivello +/-: +800 m/ - 900 m)
from Vaiano to Prato
On this last walking day, before reaching our coveted destination, we will be able to appreciate the historical and artistic evidence of the valley blending in with the surrounding landscape of vineyards and ancient residences. Descending from the Calvana, we will see the Cavalciotto di Santa Lucia, an iconic landmark and the driving force behind the town's ancient factories. The arrival in Piazza del Duomo will then turn emotion into memory!
The route ends at the train station: you can now make your way back to Bologna by train.