The excursion to Mount Lavagnola is a pleasant walk to take with the children. It has little altitude difference and alternates between stretches on dirt and asphalt roads.
At the summit, you will find a suggestive panorama of the upper Valfontanabuona and the Ligurian Sea and also a table where you can have a nice picnic.
The starting point is Torriglia but, if it is a particularly hot day (or if you have children who do not yet walk very far), our advice is to drive to Buffalora.
In this way you avoid the asphalt road section, which offers no shelter from the summer sun, and you also shorten the route a little.
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- Signposts: empty yellow triangle
- Departure: Torriglia (769 m) or Buffalora (876 m)
- Finish: Mount Lavagnola (1118)
- Height difference: about 370 m
- Walking time: 2h15
Hike to Mount Lavagnola from Torriglia: route
From the coach depot in Torriglia, take the mule track that climbs to the right following the signpost for Torriglia Castle.
When you arrive at a pool with water, ignore the mule track that climbs steeply (it is the path leading to Monte Antola) in favour of the asphalt road on the right that skirts the meadows of the Castle and in about 800 m arrives at the provincial road SP 15.
At this point, walk downhill for about 300 m, still on the tarmac road, until you come to a small fork on the left where the path shortly returns to a dirt track.
We continue on the dirt road that passes through some lovely little houses, pass the Cappelletta della Costa (880 m, 10 minutes from the start of the path) and in about 20 minutes we arrive at Buffalora (882 m).
This is where the worst part of the hike begins, because you have to walk 800 m uphill on an asphalt road, which becomes interminable in hot weather.
Mount Lavagnola
When you arrive at the sign indicating Mount Lavagnola, the road becomes unpaved again and enters the woods.
Once you reach the path of the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri, you ignore it and continue straight along the path that climbs up through the forest to the summit of Mount Lavagnola.
Here you can see three valleys, namely the Scrivia Valley, the Trebbia Valley and the Fontanabuona Valley.
On the summit of Lavagnola, there is a wooden bench – perfect for lunch – and a memorial stone erected in memory of the CAI members of the Ligurian section who fell during the First World War.
As for the return journey, you can descend towards the northern pass in the direction of Obbi-Torriglia, following the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri for a stretch, thus making a ring-shaped excursion.
Otherwise, you can walk back along the outward path (recommended with children).
Bring water and a hat for the little ones.
Continue reading:
1. Mount Gifarco and the sword in the stone
3. Stone Castle
