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19.04.2024
Self guided 
Walking
Trekking on the Way of Gods: from Bologna to Firenze
Emilia Romagna & ToscanaDifficulty path:Moderate
Self guided · WalkingDuration: 8 daysCode: ws024
from 730 €per person
Highlights
A walk from Bologna to Florence, from Piazza Maggiore to Piazza della Signoria. Two beautiful, chaotic and different cities, separated by an enchanting Apennine, to be discovered at a slow pace.
A trek on the Road of the Gods, or Via degli Dei, following the Via Flaminia Militare, an ancient Roman connection road between Tuscany and Emilia Romagna.
A journey into a forgotten world: small villages, “sacred” mountains and abandoned Apennine passes, valleys and rivers, plains and ridges will make you rediscover the pleasure of living in an unhurried time.
We have reviewed this ancient path and we propose it to you in "thoughtless" mode: 6 equally distributed stages, a very convenient luggage transport service and practical travel tools, very useful to make your trip peaceful.
A trek on the Road of the Gods, or Via degli Dei, following the Via Flaminia Militare, an ancient Roman connection road between Tuscany and Emilia Romagna.
A journey into a forgotten world: small villages, “sacred” mountains and abandoned Apennine passes, valleys and rivers, plains and ridges will make you rediscover the pleasure of living in an unhurried time.
We have reviewed this ancient path and we propose it to you in "thoughtless" mode: 6 equally distributed stages, a very convenient luggage transport service and practical travel tools, very useful to make your trip peaceful.
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Walk through beautiful Bologna and Florence
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Paths through centuries-old beech and chestnut woods
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The stone towers of Monte Adone
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The Tuscan sanctuary of Montesenario
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Fiesole and the archaeological area
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Local specialties from Tuscany and Emilia Romagna
Program
Day1
Welcome to Bologna
Welcome to Bologna, the lively capital of Emilia-Romagna, a city loved by historic Italian songwriters such as Guccini and Dalla.
A little curiosity about the City of Arcades: it is said that the portico of San Luca represents the devil in the form of a snake, whose head is crushed by the Madonna, represented by the sanctuary, so much so that the progressive numbers of the arches start from 1 to get to 666.
Overnight in Bologna.
Day2
Trekking from Bologna to Sasso Marconi
21km, +400m -400m
The walk on the Via degli Dei starts from the iconic statue of Neptune and goes through the longest portico in the world, that of San Luca.
After a stop at the homonymous Sanctuary, which has always been a pilgrimage destination for the Bolognese, walk inside the Parco della Chiusa, following the course of the Reno river through meadows, vegetable gardens and woods. You reach and cross the surprising Oasis of San Gherardo, a true natural paradise just a few steps from the city.
The first stage on the Via degli Dei ends at the small village of Sasso Marconi, which from Praduro and Sasso assumed its current name in honor of the Nobel prize winner Guglielmo Marconi.
Overnight in Sasso Marconi.
Day3
Trekking from Sasso Marconi to Monzuno
17km, +620m -380m
Today's stage of the trek from Bologna to Florence begins after a short private transfer.
You will immerse yourself in the Contrafforte Pliocenico Nature Reserve, which develops on a majestic rocky front testimony of a prehistoric marine gulf.
Following the paths inside the reserve, you quickly climb towards Monte Adone, from the top of which the splendid panorama reveals the path on the Via degli Dei towards Florence.
Today's stage on the Via degli Dei ends in Monzuno, where you can visit the Nino Bertocchi - Lea Colliva Art Gallery, excellence of this small village in the Bolognese Apennines.
Overnight in Monzuno.
Day4
Trekking from Monzuno to Bruscoli
20km, +840m -560m
The walk on the Via degli Dei continues in the locality of Le Croci, once the border point between the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the Papal State.
After this ancient custom, we arrive at the small village of Madonna dei Fornelli, which developed around the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Neve.
Follow the Apennine ridge to immerse yourself in the very extensive beech forests that preserve the basalt of the ancient Via Flaminia Militare.
This wonderful route will lead you to your Bruscoli farmhouse, where you will stay overnight.
Day5
Trekking from Bruscoli to San Piero a Sieve
30km, +590m -1290m (or 21km, +530m -1100m)
Today a nice trekking in the mountains will lead you on suggestive paths in the woods.
After the first ups and downs, the Via degli Dei arrives at Passo della Futa: here on a hill is the solemn Germanic military cemetery, which houses the German soldiers who fell along the Gothic line.
After the legendary Passo dell'Osteria Bruciata, you quickly descend to Sant'Agata, where there is a bar and a grocery store, with the possibility of continuing by bus.
Today the stage of the trek from Bologna to Florence is rich in history and nature.
Overnight in San Piero a Sieve.
Day6
Trekking from San Piero a Sieve to Vetta delle Croci
20km, +820m -600m
Today's stage of the walking journey on the Via degli Dei is almost entirely unpaved.
The route will lead you to the Florence basin, among beautiful chestnut, hazelnut and oak woods, juniper bushes, peaceful and wide clearings and fields planted with olive trees.
After a few kilometers you cross the village of Trebbio, where the homonymous castle stands surrounded by monumental cypresses: it is here that Lorenzo the Magnificent loved to spend his hunting stays.
The last climb to the Sanctuary of Monte Senario will make you leave the Mugello basin behind for good. it is highly recommended to visit the most important sanctuary in Tuscany, and then go down towards Vetta delle Croci and then Olmo.
Overnight in Olmo.
Day7
Trekking from Vetta delle Croci to Fiesole/Firenze
17km, +290m -670m (or 10km, +280m -430m)
The last stage of the Via degli Dei takes you back to civilization with the entrance to the splendid and crowded Florence.
The first part of today's journey offers the last unforgettable glimpses of the Apennines that slope down towards Fiesole.
In the beautiful Fiesole, a natural balcony overlooking Florence, you can decide to visit the well-kept archaeological area which preserves Roman baths and amphitheater, bordered by the most ancient Etruscan walls. From Fiesole the route descends to Florence, which you can decide to reach with a short bus transfer.
Overnight in Florence.
Day8
Firenze
After breakfast end of services.
If you like to walk in history, and you are not afraid of a few more kilometers, look at the The southern Via Francigena in Puglia and Magna Via Francigena trail in Sicily.
Tour programme variations
Due to organizational reasons, weather conditions or provisions issued by local authorities, the itinerary may be subject to some changes before and/or during the holiday.
Along the way you may find temporary deviations (for example road works) which cannot be foreseen; in this case each walker can decide autonomously how to deal with these stretches.
What's included
Our offer includes
- 7 nights with breakfast in double room
- Travel App (maps, tracks, route notes)
- Hiking map of the Via degli Dei
- Pilgrim's Credential
- Private transfer from Sasso Marconi to Badolo
- Luggage transportation hotel to hotel
- Phone assistance 08:00-20:00
Not included
- Transfer IN and Transfer OUT
- Meals and drinks
- Entrance fees and tips
- Hotel tourist taxes
- Insurance and what's not listed as Included
Departures and prices
25/03/2024 => 25/10/2024
Standard730 € /p
20/03/2025 => 27/10/2025
Standard840 € /p
Supplements per person
Single room
Standard250 € /p
Solo traveller
Standard250 € /p
Transfer Bologna Apt - Bologna
Standard38 € /p
Transfer Firenze - Firenze Apt
Standard47 € /p
Transfer Firenze Apt - Bologna
Standard130 € /p
Transfer Pisa Apt - Bologna
Standard240 € /p
Transfer Firenze - Pisa Apt
Standard125 € /p
Transfer Firenze - Bologna Apt
Standard130 € /p
Other Information
Grade
The itinerary develops along the ancient path of the Via degli Dei.
The tour winds mainly through dirt paths and country lanes; rarely, when strictly necessary, on asphalt. The presence of wooded areas in the itinerary guarantees shade and mild temperatures during the summer for most of the route; during the mid-seasons the temperatures are cooler. Generally dry climate, but the rare rains can cause inconvenience along the way.
We recommend to wear comfortable walking shoes and to bring with you a hat, trekking poles (strongly recommended), drinking water, sun cream and a waterproof jacket in case of rain.
The morphological conformation of the Via degli Dei provides considerable differences in level to be tackled daily, so the tour is suitable for anyone with good walking training.
The length of a walking day ranges from a minimum of 17 to a maximum of 30 km, with travel times between 5 and 8 hours.
→ Two of the six stages can be shortened by using public transport.
Accomodations & Meals
The tour offers accommodation in pretty B&B and selected 3* hotels.
All rooms are ensuite; only in San Pietro a Sieve some rooms do not have a private bathroom.
- 1 night in Bologna
- 1 night in Sasso Marconi
- 1 night in Monzuno
- 1 night in Bruscoli
- 1 night in San Piero a Sieve
- 1 night in Olmo
- 1 night in Florence
7 breakfasts included.
→ Due to the reduced accommodation capacity of the small towns of the Apennines, the accommodation locations may vary during the season, with consequent variation of the daily stops.
Support
→ We will take care of your luggage while you are walking.
For the whole duration of your tour, you can contact our assistance numbers.
Travel documents
A few days before departure you will receive by email the Service List with instructions for using the Travel App.
Upon your arrival, ask at reception for the info pack with:
- updated Service List;
- luggage Labels;
- hiking map of the Via degli Dei;
- Pilgrim's Credential.
Arrival and Departure
Getting there
Bologna is easily reachable by train, bus, car and by air.
BY TRAIN. Trenitalia connects the major Italian cities with the Emilia-Romagna capital. From Bologna Centrale station there are direct train connections also to other European countries. On Viaggiatreno you can find updated informations about train routes.
BY AIR. The international airport of Bologna-Guglielmo Marconi is well connected with direct flights to the most important Italian and foreign cities.The airport is only 20 minutes from the centre of the city and is well connected with the Aerobus shuttle service. The cost of the single route is € 5.00. More information at the following link.
BY BUS. Bologna is also accessible by bus. Here some of the major operating companies: FlixBus, Baltour, Buscenter, Alsa, Marozzi, Marino and others, which guarantee links both nationally and internationally.
BY CAR. The highways A1, A13 E A14 directly connect the city with important locations such as Milan, Florence, Rome, Venice, Padua, Rimini and Ravenna and the S64 connects Bologna directly with Ferrara.
google.maps.com can help you with the directions.
Back to Bologna
From Florence, last stage of the trek on the Way of Gods, there are various options for returning to Bologna..
AppenninoShuttle connects Florence directly with Bologna airport by bus. Other companies that bring to Bologna are Flixbus, Megabus, Baltour.
The connection is also made by Trenitalia.
→ If you prefer to travel in total comfort, you can book a private transfer on the days of arrival and departure.