Summer in Abetone and the Pistoia Mountains

Summer is the perfect season to discover the Pistoia Mountains, with their forests, hiking trails, historic villages and mountain lifts. Between Abetone Cutigliano, San Marcello Piteglio and Sambuca Pistoiese, visitors can enjoy outdoor adventures, family activities and museums that tell the story of the Tuscan Apennines.

To help you plan your stay, explore our guides to summer events, outdoor experiences and local festivals across the Pistoia Mountains, or browse the full calendar of upcoming events.

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Summer in Abetone Cutigliano

The municipality of Abetone Cutigliano is the ideal destination for enjoying the mountains in summer, with breathtaking scenery, outdoor sports and activities for all ages.

The Multipass Abetone includes access to the Monte Gomito cable car, the Val di Luce chairlift, the Gravity Park, the Tubby area and mountain huts, making it perfect for hiking and panoramic walks.

Doganaccia is also open every day and can be reached by the Cutigliano cableway. The area offers activities for both adults and children, including an adventure park, alpine coaster, downhill and mountain bike trails, Gravity Kart, a therapeutic forest and hiking routes leading to Lake Scaffaiolo, Croce Arcana and Monte Spigolino. A full programme of summer events will also take place throughout the season.

The Abetone–Selletta chairlift operates on Saturdays and Sundays and, from 18 July, every day until September. It provides easy access to panoramic hiking trails and is part of the Appennino senza confini (Borderless Apennines) initiative, allowing visitors to use a single ticket for the Abetone–Selletta chairlift, the Cutigliano–Doganaccia cableway, the Cavone–Le Rocce chairlift at Corno alle Scale and the Sant’Annapelago–Pian Scorzatello chairlift.

Among the area’s most popular hikes is Black Lake, one of the most beautiful glacial lakes in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. It can be reached via trails from Val di Luce, Abetone and the Sestaione Valley, or by taking the Monte Gomito cable car and continuing on foot.

Those interested in local history and nature can visit the Abetone Ski Museum, dedicated to champions such as Zeno Colò and Celina Seghi. Other cultural attractions include the Museum of the People of the Pistoia Apennines in Rivoreta, the Gothic Line Museum in Pianosinatico, the Forest Botanical Garden and Beatrice’s House Through Time in Pian degli Ontani.

Don’t miss the medieval village of Cutigliano, which from 17 to 19 July hosts Cutigliano Medievale, a historical festival featuring knights, ladies, medieval markets and entertainment.

More information about Abetone Cutigliano: click here.

Photo Credit: Comune San Marcello Piteglio

What to see in San Marcello Piteglio

San Marcello Piteglio combines nature, history and culture in one destination. Among its best-known attractions is the Ferriere Suspension Bridge, a spectacular 227-metre pedestrian bridge linking Mammiano Basso and Popiglio, suspended high above the Lima stream.

The municipality is also home to the headquarters of the Pistoia Mountains Ecomuseum, the first ecomuseum established in Italy. Through museums, thematic routes and cultural itineraries, it tells the story of the people, traditions and heritage of the Tuscan Apennines. The information centre is located in the historic Palazzo Achilli in Gavinana, where visitors can also explore the Ferrucciano Museum, dedicated to Francesco Ferrucci and the Battle of Gavinana (1530).

Astronomy enthusiasts can visit the Pistoia Mountains Astronomical Observatory in Pian dei Termini, managed by the Gruppo Astrofili Montagna Pistoiese, which organises evening sky observation sessions.

For hikers, the Segnavie Project offers more than 35 kilometres of trails connecting forests, villages and contemporary art installations between San Marcello Pistoiese, Maresca, Prunetta and the Teso Forest.

Another unmissable destination is the Teso Forest, a woodland covering more than 2,000 hectares between 795 and 1,732 metres above sea level. Located between Pracchia and San Marcello Pistoiese, it is ideal for family walks and nature excursions.

Hiking and nature in Sambuca Pistoiese

Sambuca Pistoiese offers one of the wildest and most authentic landscapes of the Tuscan Apennines, with stone-built villages, forests and mountain scenery stretching to the border with Emilia-Romagna.

The area offers numerous hiking and mountain biking opportunities. One of the highlights is the Sambuca Ring Route, which winds through chestnut woods, ridgelines and ancient settlements, revealing one of the most unspoilt corners of the Pistoia Mountains.

Another natural treasure is the Acquerino Forest, a protected State Nature Reserve featuring ancient beech woods, open meadows and rare plant species. The reserve is home to abundant wildlife, including deer and several birds of prey, among them the golden eagle.