The Forest of Brattello, located in the municipality of Pontremoli, covers an area of 322 hectares between Tuscany and Emilia Romagna. This forest complex, originally characterized by pastures and coppice woods, was reforested in the twentieth century with conifers and hardwoods such as black pines, beeches, chestnuts and turkey oaks. The area also has an interesting fauna: you can track hares, roe deer, wild boar, foxes, red squirrels and other species.
The forest is crossed by a network of paths that connect to the Grande Escursione Appenninica, the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri and the Sentiero Italia, as well as, for lovers of mountain biking, from different paths that are part of the Lunigiana Bike Area.
Also the Via degli Abati, used by the monks of San Colombano di Bobbio to reach Rome, stops right along the Brattello, as well as the Abbots Way, a sporting event that partly traces the monks' itinerary.
Other fascinating places of the Brattello Forest, are the ancient settlements known as "Capanne" or "Cascine", spread especially in the southern part of the forest complex, witnesses of the rural past of this site.
