Pianelletto and the Trails around Monte Barigazzo

Pianelletto is a group of houses that has been almost completely overgrown by vegetation. Nearby, CAI Trail 809 leads through an old beech forest to a summit of Monte Barigazzo at 1,287 metres. From there, a 360-degree view opens up across the Val Ceno, the Emilian and Ligurian mountains, and the Alps. Here, the landscape shifts between the forest trail and the wide panorama from the summit.

Hiking through beech forest, along the ridge and to the waterfall

A CAI Parma excursion on Stage 4 of the Taro-Ceno Trail, starting from Pianelletto, was announced for June 6, 2026. The start was planned in Pianelletto; the stage was to follow the inner ridge between Monte Barigazzo and Monte La Tagliata and include a short detour to the Lavacchielli waterfalls. The tour was listed as 18.3 kilometres long, with a technical difficulty rating of E and an estimated duration of about seven and a half hours. These details refer to the announced excursion on its specific date.

A description of the hike “I borghi silenti del Monte Barigazzo,” published in 2021, passes through the rural hamlet of Pianelletto on the ascent from Lavacchielli to the summit. The final section of a route from Pianelletto to Monte Barigazzo is also described as a circular route via the Sentiero della Resistenza towards Monte La Tagliata. Comparing the routes reveals different indications of the route: an ascent through the hamlet and a final section described as a circular route.

An earlier snowshoe hike led from Pianelletto up to the scenic summit of Monte Barigazzo. It offers a winter perspective on this summit destination. A hiking description revised in 2015 mentions beech and chestnut forests on a route from Lavacchielli to Pianelletto. These details add other forest types mentioned in descriptions to the old beech forest along CAI Trail 809. Check current trail conditions before setting out on a specific hike; for a winter outing, snow conditions are also crucial.

Landscape and history

Pianelletto lies within a Site of Community Importance in the area around Monte Barigazzo. If this protected-area designation is important to your plans, check the current Natura 2000 designation. The history of the place also offers a point of interest: Pianelletto is associated with events of the partisan struggle. Thus, alongside the forest and summit panorama, cultural and historical interests may also be a focus of a trip.

Pianelletto as a destination for your stay

If you are looking for hotels for a stay in Pianelletto, you can start by choosing according to your travel interests. For hiking, the routes described offer different points of interest: forest, summit, ridge and waterfalls. Those with a stronger interest in history can take Pianelletto’s connection to events of the partisan struggle into account when choosing their destination. Then plan each hike based on its specific route description. The CAI excursion announced for 2026 has already passed; for winter snowshoe activities, current conditions are what matter.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Lagrimone, Sant Andrea Bagni, Torrile, Signatico, Monticelli Terme, Compiano, Vigatto, Terenzo.

For the overview of the wider area: Parma.