Apuan Alps Park

The Apuan Alps Regional Park was formally established in 1985. This Park extends over 30 km and represents a real natural heritage enclosed in the territory between Lucca and Massa, involving about 15 towns and villages.

The Apuan Alps differ from the Apennine nearby due to its rough morphology, with deep valleys and massive and steep ridges. Here, vegetation is really diverse, ranging from typical Mediterranean trees to beech trees and chestnut trees as the altitude increases. Great marble cliffs, pinnacles, peaks, and stone arches really stand out, including the well-known Monte Forato (literally, Holed Mount).

Its geographic position, its exposition, and its varying kinds of rocks create contrasting and diverse environments, supporting the prosperity of local plants and animals, as for example the strong presence of spontaneous plants. 

The Apuan Alps are known for the elegance of their marble and for the deep abysses of the karstic underground: there are about 1,300 caves, of different size, which can be partially visited.