Stage 16

Montecreto-Pievepelago-Fiumalbo

A real mountain stage, not very long but demanding in terms of altitude difference, which, however, amply rewards the efforts made. The first section follows wooded paths, which lead to the beautiful, semi-abandoned ancient village of Magrignana. A few kilometers later, we cross the first of the three magnificent bridges we meet on this stage as evidence of the ancient passages: the bridge of San Bartolomeo. One more effort and we arrive, climbing, at a characteristic water mill with a horizontal wheel, perched on the banks of a rushing brook. We then come to Riolunato, which has an interesting historic center. In the shadow of Mount Cimone, the route climbs again towards the Tuscan-Emilian border; the itinerary offers two variants: one approaches the second beautiful bridge (called the Fola, from the nearby village) and enters Pievepelago, where a stop-off provides access to many services; the other stays upstream, passing through San Michele. Shortly before Fiumalbo (orange flag, also famous for its living nativity scene), we come to the third humpback bridge over another stream that has carved a fairy-tale gorge, which has nothing to envy to similar gorges in the Dolomites. The historic center of Fiumalbo is very suggestive.

Alternative route Montecreto-Pievepelago-Fiumalbo