Climb on the Cusna Mount
With its 2121 meters of height, Cusna Mount is the second highest peak in the Northern Apennines as well as Emilia Romagna.
Moved further north than the main ridge of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, its ascent is very suggestive, thanks to a more natural and uncontaminated landscape area, from which it is possible to look from the Tyrrhenian Sea to North Italy.
We are here in a truly exceptional climatic zone, the Apennine ridge of Emilia-Romagna in fact marks the boundary between the European climate and the Mediterranean landscapes.

Crossing the path 607 Monte Cusna – Ph Mauriziogps
You can start the path to climb Monte Cusna directly from the Battisti Refuge where turning left, you can take path 615 (marked with red-white signs) and follow it until you cross the starting point of path 607.
Going up the route 607 along the ridge of the mountain you will arrive under the summit of Cusna on which the cross stands out.
Here the last part of the path takes place on rocks and is therefore recommended for expert hikers, as a simplified variant it is possible to turn right on path 607A until you crossing the path 617 and 619: both of these will lead you to the summit in the easiest way.
Lakes and peat bogs of the Alta Val Parma
Four lakes and some peat bogs offer a glimpse of the evocative landscape of glacial origin in the upper Val Parma, a territory that still today presents a variety and a unique environment.
The paths number 719 – 715 – 711 will allow you to make a circular excursion around Scala Mount, walking at an average altitude of about 1500 meters.
You can start directly from the parking of the Lagoni Refuge (1341 meters), following the forest road for a few hundred meters until you will find the 719 trail sign at an altitude of 1332.
From here you can go up to Scala Mount through a landscape made of blueberries, peat bogs (the only ones in these latitudes) and ancient tilled pasture land. We are in fact in the hills used by the shepherds of Parma and Garfagnana, whose summer structures and soils can still be observed.

Cento Laghi Natural Park – Ph. Viviappennino
For the more demanding walkers, we recommend the suggestive variant of Matto Mount (path 715A) which, with a couple of hours of walking, climbs steeply on the path of a centuries-old mule track to reach first the Badignana Pass at 1680 meters high and then, through the Alta via dei Parchi, the top of the mountain.
We are here in one of the territories once most frequented by the Tuscan shepherds to reach the green pastures of Val Parma every summer, but also for trade and smuggling between the two sides during the German occupation.
A natural, cultural and historical itinerary together, on the traces of ancient glaciers and old shepherds’ paths, to discover lost traditions and ancient mule tracks.
Keith Wakefield
Looks superb . Although I have books and maps of Marche ,Umbria and Tuscany , very difficult to find them of Bologna area in England .