Excursion to Mount Antola and lunch at the Refuge

Mount Antola, with an altitude of 1597m, is the best known peak of the Antola Regional Natural Park.

It is located in the area of the so-called Four Provinces (Genoa, Alessandria, Pavia, Piacenza) and from its summit one can enjoy an enviable panorama of the surrounding mountains, Lake Brugneto and on clear days even as far as Corsica.

The hike to Monte Antola, known as the ‘mountain of the Genoese‘, is a wonderful excursion that can be done with children and, once at the summit, the prize is a nice lunch at the refuge!

There are more than ten trails of varying difficulty and gradient that converge on the summit of Mount Antola from the Scrivia, Trebbia and Borbera valleys.

We will describe the two routes that we liked best, namely the path from Casa del Romano, which is more suitable for children, and the path from Torriglia, which is more strenuous but a little more ‘eventful’.

Hiking on Monte Antola from Casa del Romano

The hike to Mount Antola from Casa del Romano is the easiest path to take with children because it does not have a great difference in altitude.

It is basically a beautiful walk along a scenic path that climbs gently for 5.5 km to the summit.

Along the way, it is easy to come across grazing cows.

Route

Park your car near the Bar Ristorante Casa del Romano in the municipality of Fascia, and follow the Monte Antola/Rifugio Monte Antola signpost (2 yellow dots).

The path starts at the trattoria, skirts the Astronomical Observatory and slowly begins to gain altitude. You pass a saddle with a table and bench (1510 m) and proceed with an open view of the meadows.

Then the path enters the beech woods, reaches the Tre Croci Pass and, climbing along the western flank of the Antola, ends at the large white cross at 1597 metres above sea level.

To go to the Rifugio Parco Antola, take the path that descends in a southerly direction. It will take another 15 minutes of walking.

At the refuge, you will feel as if you have arrived in paradise!

You can sit at the tables inside or outside on the panoramic terrace.

There is no set menu, they generally offer a couple of first courses (pesto, sauce) and roast with potatoes or sandwiches.

You return by retracing the outward path.

The estimated time to reach the summit of Monte Antola from Casa del Romano is 2h00. We, with our 2 years and 10 months old daughter who, although small, is already quite well trained, took 2h40 minutes.

Hike on Monte Antola from Torriglia

Technical specifications:

Signposts: 2 yellow dots

Departure: Torriglia (769 m)

Arrival: Monte Antola (1597 m)

Height difference: 900 m

Length: 8 km

Walking time: 3 hours

This is a path which we recommend to families with well-trained children, not because it is a dangerous path, but because it has a lot of altitude difference, you need breath and a lot of training otherwise you risk having to turn back half way.

Route

The path follows the old mule track that climbs from the village of Torriglia.

It begins near the coach house, (marker 2 yellow dots), arrives at Donetta (here the dirt track joins the tarmac road for a small section that crosses the village) and from there the climb gives no respite until the Colletti pass (1277m).

This first section alone, if you are doing it with children or if you are not particularly well trained, will take you about 1h30 to 2h00.

Most of the difference in altitude is in this first stretch, which is also very scenic and allows you to frequently spot groups of fallow deer, then the ascent eases and with several ups and downs you arrive at the crossroads indicating Monte Antola on one side and the refuge on the other.

The walk to the refuge takes about five minutes, while the summit takes another thirty minutes or so.

From the colletti to the summit of Monte Antola is an estimated 1h45 minutes. With children, count at least half an hour more. You return by retracing the outward path.

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Warnings

When we say that a trail is suitable for children, we mean that the trail does not present any particular difficulty that could endanger them.

However, we are still talking about amountain hike that requires a minimum of training and adequate equipment to cope with a sudden change in the weather.

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Read on:

1. The flowering of the daffodils at Pian della Cavalla

2. Hiking to the Stone Castle

3. Trebbia Valley

4. Vigoleno

5. Ring of Genoa Forts