Rezzoaglio: Nature Trails and Forest History

Rezzoaglio is part of the Parco dell’Aveto. The Alta Via dei Monti Liguri passes through the town and its hamlets. This makes the landscape and trails just as central to planning a trip as forest history, rural culture and regional products.

Natural Areas and Trails

Nearby Lago delle Lame is one of the few lakes of glacial origin in Liguria. Trails leading into the Parco dell’Aveto begin nearby; the ruins of the former S. Bartolomeo delle Lame hospice are also located there. One specific hiking option is the Anello del Monte Ramaceto loop: it leads from Ventarola through the Liciorno beech forest and over Monte Ramaceto before returning to Ventarola. It initially follows the gently flowing Rio Liciorno, then leads through the rising beech forest to the ridge of Ramaceto.

Forest and Local History

The Centro Visite di Rezzoaglio displays an approximately 4,000-year-old subfossil trunk of a silver fir, recovered at the nearby Mogge di Ertola site. The center also includes a “nocturnal corridor” where visitors can hear the calls of forest animals and glimpse their outlines. Another room about the wolf is a satellite exhibition of the Museo del Lupo di Rondanina in the Parco dell’Antola.

The Museo del Bosco is a permanent exhibition about the park’s forests, their ancient and more recent history, and their future. It displays artefacts, finds, memorabilia and forestry tools. It also includes a signposted path between the trees, designed with installations, where visitors can identify the park’s typical tree species and learn about changes in human use of the forest.

The exposed stone bell tower of the parish church of San Michele in Rezzoaglio dates from 1769; the upper structure of the bell tower is excluded. The ancient mill of Molini dates from the 17th century and houses an interesting collection of milling tools and objects from peasant culture. It has been out of operation since at least the 1960s. Ventarola is an old, well-preserved rural settlement complex. Above Megòia, the so-called “Castello” contains the ruins of a fortified complex that may date from the second half of the 13th century.

Regional Products

Local food culture is also part of the character of the area. The Cabannese potato takes its name from the hamlet of Capanne di Rezzoaglio in the upper Val d’Aveto, where its cultivation presumably began. The Caseificio Val d’Aveto in Rezzoaglio Inferiore produces fresh cheese from whole milk with minimal processing, following the tradition of Ligurian farmers.

Practical Information

The Chiesa di San Michele is accessible to people with disabilities, and admission is free. The Centro Visite di Rezzoaglio has seasonal opening hours: Saturdays and Sundays in June, September and October; Fridays to Sundays in July; and daily except Wednesdays in August, in each case from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 15:00 to 17:00. When choosing accommodation, the main consideration is the personal focus of the stay: trails, forest history, historic sites or regional products.

More Destinations

Testana, Bargone, Valbrevenna, Santo Stefano D'aveto, Zoagli, Camogli, Mignanego, San Colombano

To the higher-level travel overview: Genoa.