Staying at Il Castagnello you will have chosen one of the most beautiful and unspoilt regions of Italy – The Garfagnana. The heart of the Garfagnana is in the valley formed by the Serchio River. It’s an area for trekking, horse riding and a host of other outdoor pursuits. The tourist office in Castlenuovo di Garfagnana is happy to help.       The nearest town, Barga, is steep and winding – up to its highest point the Duomo or cathedral. Built between the 10th and 14th Centuries it is not to be missed, for its panoramic views to the exterior and its curiosities inside. The pulpit is exquisitely carved and resting on four red marble pillars. Porta Reale and Porta Macchiaia are the remaining gates of the ancient walls, which once enclosed most of “Old Barga”. At Barga several food and cultural festivals are held. The “Opera Barga” association each year organizes an important lyrical season where concerts are held in the “Teatro dei Differenti” a 17th Century building in the centre of the town. The Jazz festival, organized by the Barga Jazz association is of international fame. The festival is held in the historical centre of the town in the middle of July.   Top   Castelnuovo di Garfagnana is the best centre to get information on walking, horse riding, mountain biking and trekking in the Apuane Alps. Castelnuovo is the main centre for the towns of the Garfagnana mountain areas. Pro Loco, the tourist information office and Garfagnana Turistica are two of the busiest tourist centres in Tuscany as the area as a whole specialises in naturalistic tourism. Each Thursday morning a market is hosted in Castelnuovo, there are also several factories and craft industries. The Castelnuovo carnival takes place on three consecutive Sundays in the month of February and “September in Castelnuovo” 15thAugust to 20th September, which starts with shops staying open at night and different street artists performing. The event continues with the “Womens Fair” (1st Sunday in Sept), a big market which lasts all day and commemorates the times when the mountain women came down to the valley to stock up with everything they needed for Winter, and it finishes with the poetry competition “Olinto Dini”. In the first fortnight of December the fair “Ponti nei Tempi” takes place. It is a gastronomic fair with local farm products. Top   The fabulous medieval walled city of Lucca is a must. Off the main tourist track it boasts a wealth of things to do. Children and adults can cycle round the city walls, a flat and traffic free cycle, hiring bikes from one of the many places for only a few euros. Bikes are hired by the hour - the children can lap you many times in that hour! Go for lunch in one of the many restaurants in the amphitheatre. Market days (Wed & Sun) are great fun – get their early, the heat gets going mid morning! There are also many very exclusive little shops and boutiques in Lucca – allow yourself time there. Top         Top