Three wonderful views on Monte Pisano

Today we want to help you choose some easily accessible places on Monte Pisano from which to enjoy unique views.

Walk with a view?

Are you aware of the feeling when you admire a vast panorama from a hill or a mountain? When opening our eyes in front of us cars, people and cities look like little ants?

Freedom!

Monte Pisano can give us this feeling in many ways and one of these is precisely what it gives us with its natural viewpoints on the sea, on the islands, on the Apuan Alps, on the two cities of Pisa and Lucca, on Lake Massaciuccoli and on everything that makes this little corner of Tuscany unique.

Today we want to explain how to reach three magical places from which to admire this beauty with little effort and guaranteed satisfaction.

Vega 10 Memorial

We are located in the municipality of Calci in Pisa: this sacred but at the same time wonderful place, especially at sunset, can be reached in about 20 minutes from the town of Calci on the western side of Monte Pisano but also from the Lucca area going up from Pieve di Compito and from Buti on southern slope of Monte Pisano. In all cases, the road is paved up to the convenient parking area about 100 meters from the monument where you can leave your car and continue on foot for 10 minutes. Near the parking there is also an excellent restaurant with local products called “I Cristalli” where to have dinner after admiring the sun setting in the Tyrrhenian Sea behind Corsica.

Let’s go back to our magical place: once you reach the top in fact in front of you you will find the monument-lighthouse in memory of the fallen of Vega 10 and next to it the view of the Pisan plain, the Livorno hills, the coast, the Capraia, Gorgona and Corsica islands, Lake Massaciuccoli and on the best days in the distance the reliefs of the Gulf of Poets of La Spezia.

This place is suitable for everyone, both for those who want to explore nature and take a break with a view, and for those who want to walk a little and sit comfortably on the lawn admiring the beautiful spectacle that nature gives us every evening with the sunset.

Although this place is easily accessible, it presents cliffs, stones and unmarked protruding points that can prove dangerous, we remind you that it is always necessary to pay the utmost attention for yourself, for children and pets.

 

Moriglione di Penna mountain

We are in Lucca, a few meters from the border with the province of Pisa, Monte Moriglione di Penna for those who are local is located very close to Santa Maria di Giudice the village from which thanks to the “Foro tunnel” you can reach San Giuliano Terme through Monte Pisano from the inside. Reaching the top of Monte Penna takes about half an hour to walk on more or less sloping paths, you can choose to start from Santa Maria del Giudice with route number 116, from 4 venti in Molina di Quosa taking path 00 and connecting to 116 near Croce a Vaccoli or from Lucca, with the path 110 from Gattaiola (from here the travel times are longer). The panoramic point of Monte Penna is very suggestive in fact it will allow you to see both sides of Monte Pisano. You can see the plain of Lucchesia up to Montecatini Terme on one side and the Pisan one with the coast and the islands on the opposite side. If you look towards Lucca and then to the north on the horizon the mountains of the Garfagnana and the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines will be the frame if instead you will turn your head south on days without too much haze will be the islands of the Tuscan archipelago to act as a splendid view.

As for the previous route, this point also has unpaved dirt roads and protruding points that can prove dangerous, we remind you that it is always necessary to pay the utmost attention to yourself, for children and pets.

Passo di Dante

The “Passo di Dante” as the name implies, it was for many years one of the few steps on Monte Pisano to reach Pisa from Lucca and in opposite way. However, this is not just any step but the point that in the 33rd canto of the Divine Comedy vv 28-30 refers to the dialogue that Dante, accompanied by the inevitable Virgil, has with Ugolino di Guelfo della Gherardesca, Count of Donoratico, in circle of traitors. (Read the story)

The Passo di Dante is located right above the town of San Giuliano Terme and can be reached either by car directly from Santa Maria del Giudice, or on foot from San Giuliano Terme and from any point of Monte Pisano that is connected to the route 00 which we remember being the track that like a long backbone crosses the whole mountain from north to south. The recommended walking route to reach this place and also visit the Monte Castellare with the famous villa del Polacco is the number 115 which, starting from the area of the spa town, forms a ring of 5 km. From here, after an ascent of about 25 minutes, you can reach the large lawn from which to admire San Giuliano Terme, the city of Pisa and the coast. This point is suitable for picnics or snacks at sunset because the sun during the spring and summer season will go down to the sea directly in front of you, illuminating everything in the best days with a warm and intense light.

As for the previous route, this point also has unpaved dirt roads and protruding points that can prove dangerous, we remind you that it is always necessary to pay the utmost attention to yourself, for children and pets.

Share your photos with us

We remind you that you can share with us your photos taken on Monte Pisano using the hashtag #montepisano. We will be happy to store them to let everyone know the wonders that this area can offer.

For any information on the routes or on the difficulties, do not hesitate to contact us in chat or at +39 366 6949330

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