Recently I went with friends into the mountains near Bagni di Lucca. We drove up towards Abetone, but turned right towards Cutigliano and headed past the village into beautiful forests.
We went through chestnut forests and higher up, stunning beech forests. This is autumn colour at its best.
Trees are being cut, but I was told by my Italian friends that this is controlled. The large, older trees are left to grow and smaller trees are felled for timber.
We drove on until we were above the tree line and came upon bare mountain tops.
In the photo below you can see a track which goes to Lake Scaffaiolo…another day.
The views from the top are spectacular.
There is a war memorial near the top.
On the way back sun was shining through the tree tops turning them glorious gold and copper colours.
I am very lucky to have friends with local knowledge (and a powerful car). I would not be able to access these stunning places by myself.