Garfagnana

Haven't been there, but this map (link below) shows you the geographical relationship of Garfagnana (marked A on the map) to La Spezia and Pisa

click here

As you can see, Garfagnana is not on the main rail line between La Spezia and Pisa. But it is reachable by train. To figure out how,

use this train schedule website

Question: What did you hear about it to get your attention?

We heard about it because my husband was recently in a play by G.K. Chesterton called "The Surprise" which takes place in Garfagnana. I just thought it would be so cool to actually go there if it is convenient enough.

Laura,

We're planning on going to Garfagnana next year. It looks fabulous. Less crowded than other areas of Tuscany, with great hiking and walking in the Apuan Alps and Apennines, a strong arts presence, and a very cool local food scene.

There's a Web site - www.garfagnana-food.com, that lists visitor reviews of restaurants in the region.

Another Web site, www.barganews.com, is an English-language online community newspaper for the Garfagnana hilltown of Barga, which has historic ties to Scotland (lots of locals used to emigrate to Scotland for jobs, so there is now a sizeable English-speaking contingent in the region.) Seems like there are lots of music festivals, art galleries, wine tastings, microbreweries, etc etc., in the town.

And there's a interesting writeup for the region at: http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/barga.htm

Hope this helps!
Tim

Someone else was asking about this just a few days ago. Follow the search instructions to find that thread:

http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/index.cfm/rurl/topic/32123/bfrequently-asked-questions--how-to-search-the-helplineb.html