Scary Drive Lucca to Garfagnana??

There is nothing to fear but fear itself.

They are two lane highways with sometimes sharp curves, but if you drive carefully, they are not scary.

Thanks! And does that include a drive to Barga as well?

Yes, to Barga is simple. The Serchio is a big river that has carved a wide valley. Only when you get deep into the mountains do the roads become as curvy as roads in the White Mountains.

Thanks, Roberto and Mike. Now-if you want to weigh in on your favorite walks/towns/things to do while in the Apuan Alps, Serchio River Valley, please do! We enjoy hiking/walking and as long as the drive isn't scary, and you both say it isn't, we're up for anything.

I've done the drive twice and found it to be fine.

Donna

My sister and I took a bus from Lucca to Barga a few years ago. Very easy. I believe we caught the bus in Piazzale Verdi, where there is a ticket office.

Enjoy!

I took the train from Lucca to Castelnuovo di Garfagnana a few years ago. It was a pleasant and scenic train ride. I decided not to go to Barga because the train station is about 4 km away (though you can take a bus).

Castelnuovo was a delightful place to spend the day. Charming town. I hiked up to the Fortezza di Mont'Alfonso, from which there are some nice views.

If you're interested, I have photos at https://goo.gl/photos/EeSXAfqGtosKGRPn6.

In my experience, it can be hard to find specific information on ordinary hiking trails (as opposed to mountain climbing routes) without being there. Going through the Garfagnana valley is a trail which follows the pilgrimage route of the 'Volto Santo'. Literally meaning the 'Holy Face', it refers to the ancient wooden crucifix in Lucca's cathedral. Today the route is today called 'Il Cammino del Volto Santo' and it passes to points north from Lucca and through Barga . You could inquire of tourist info in Lucca about the trail to see if sections would make a good excursion. One place to inquire is the info center for the Via Francigena (The Rome-Canterbury pilgrim trail that also passes through Lucca going west and south). Here's the url for the new Lucca info center, called 'Via Francigena Entry Point': http://viafrancigenaentrypoint.eu/en

Thanks all! Lane-love the pics and they're very helpful. Mike, I'll explore both the walk you mention as well as the information center link. I appreciate all the help and opinions very much.