The territory of Gerfalco has always been criss-crossed by a dense network of country lanes and pathways that in the past were vital communication routes between the urban centres and places of work and trade. The abandonment of agriculture and the closure of the mines have led to an inexorable loss of pathways. For lots of years many tracks have been covered by thick vegetation. It is only during recent years that several of them have been cleaned and an extended network of trails has been created for hikers.

Most of the treks follow easy to walk trails, some on gravel road, some through thick vegetation and some over fields and through woods without proper paths.

Iitinerary from Gerfalco to Castello di Fosini and Poggio Mutti

After visiting the picturesque medieval village of Gerfalco we walk up a small path to the ridge of the Cornate. In former centuries these mountain slopes were populated and cultivated. Over time rare plants and animals have taken over producing a wild landscape and a rare new ecological balance has been established. During most of the tour we have a nice view to the coast and the island of Elba. We pass by a former famous quarry of marble, which provided the marble for the Cathedral of Siena. In the afternoon we climb the Poggio Mutti, where we will find lots of entrances of former mines and natural caves hidden in thick evergreen bushes. Previously, the Etruscans mined minerals here and the numerous traces of the different mining epochs have become mixed.

Riserva Naturale Cornate e Fosini