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OPENING SEASON 2024
Starting at Easter, the Botanical Garden will be open on weekends and spring holidays in April and May.
Then, it will be open daily from the beginning of June to mid-September.Openings will be limited to weekends in the second half of September and October, depending on seasonal weather conditions.
Special openings are planned throughout the year, and there is also the possibility of on - demand opening for groups and school classes
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𝟭) OPENING TIMES AND DAYS
The Botanical Garden is open in the mornings and afternoons,
from 9.30 to 13.00 and from 15.00 to 19.00.
During opening hours, access is free from the entrance gate to the refuge-laboratory.
Visits on the hiking route are exclusively guided and take place at the following times:
• morning 9.30 a.m. - 10.15 a.m. - 11.15 a.m. - 12 p.m.
• afternoon 15.00 p.m. - 15.45 p.m. - 16.45 p.m. - 17.45 p.m.
𝟮) INFO AND RESERVATIONS
Information can be requested in the following ways:• by calling 3488809255 (NO TEXT MESSAGES)
• by writing to ortoapuane.aquilegia@gmail.com
• by chatting on the Apuan Alps Botanical Garden Facebook page.
Guided tours leave at set times (see above), either in the morning or in the afternoon. To take part in a guided tour, simply show up at the visitor center at least 5 minutes before any of the departure times.
In high season, additional times are added in case of high attendance.
In the case of large groups (from 8 to 10 people and up), reservations are recommended.
The itinerary is a mountain trail, roughly classifiable as "Grade 2" (Uk) or "Moderate Difficult" (Usa).
It is characterized by a positive elevation gain of 100 meters (328 feet) and has a duration of about 60 minutes.
Although it is not physically demanding, it is not recommended for children under the age of 6, for those with heart problems, for those suffering from fatigue or walking difficulties or dizziness (it has no overhangs or precipices, but in some sections there is a certain slope; there are iron railings and wooden fences helping in potentially exposed passages).
Younger children may be accompanied by their parents if kept in the appropriate hiking backpack: for safety reasons, it is absolutely forbidden to pick them up along hiking trails.
It is necessary to use footwear suitable for mountain trails: closed shoes with etched rubber soles, without heels or wedges. It is recommended to carry a small personal water supply.
4) ARE DOGS ALLOWED?
Yes, as long as they are of good temperament and kept on a short leash at all times within the Botanical Garden, as per regulations within protected natural areas.
5) GUIDED TOUR COST
5€/person, free for under 18s6) ROAD DIRECTIONS
Located at Pian della Fioba, at an altitude of about 900 m above sea level, the Botanical Garden of the Apuan Alps can be reached from Massa by the panoramic road Massa - San Carlo Terme - Antona - Arni (18 km), or by the 'Via dei Carri', which initially runs alongside the river Frigido, then begins a steep climb, turning right, in the direction of Altagnana.From Castelnuovo Garfagnana you can reach Pian della Fioba by crossing Isola Santa and Arni (21 km).
From Alta Versilia you can cross Colle del Cipollaio and then follow through Arni in the direction of Massa.
7) PUBLIC TRANSPORT
In the summer, from mid-June to mid-September, Pian della Fioba can be reached at weekends by bus 66 departing from Massa railway station.The 'Città di Massa' refuge is a three-minute walk from the Botanical Garden.
Info and reservations: 3395390067 and 3386493028
https://il-sentiero.it/cittadimassa.html
There are also other recommended facilities, both towards Massa and the Garfagnana.
Pian della Fioba is at the center of an excursion network of CAI (Italian Alpine Club) paths connecting the Frigido Valley with Monte Altissimo.
These can also be consulted on the Webmapp Alpi Apuane.
Near the 'Città di Massa' Refuge, you can find two easy and panoramic routes: the Anello della Dolina (Sinkhole hiking route) and the Anello della Maestà.