Time for trekking and new travel ideas. Spring passes through Prato and can be savored by walking lovers with the 3 historic paths, surrounded by greenery, among breathtaking routes and Medici villas, a UNESCO heritage site. To face them you can prepare yourself from home. There is no need to train, because the itineraries are suitable for everyone, but now it is easier to orient yourself by discovering them in preview with a virtual tour, thanks to the new app Pathsa tool that shows the places to visit and describes them, for an even more immersive experience.
Paths offers an augmented reality experience to fully enjoy the places that embrace the seven municipalities of the province of Prato. From the Via della Lana and Silk to the Via Medicea, passing through the Via delle Rocche, just to mention the most famous. It’s time to set off to discover the nature reserves of Prato.
Wool and Silk Road
Total length: 130 km
Total altitude difference uphill: +5430; -5550
Difficulty: medium
Total duration: 6 or more days
Itinerary: 6 stages; 12 municipalities; 2 regions
Connections: Via delle Rocche, Via Medicea, Cammino di Malaparte
The Wool and Silk Road is an extraordinary journey through history, nature and traditions. The route, approximately 130 km long, connects Prato and Bologna: two historic centers of great cultural value. Bologna, with its canals and the famous Chiusa, was for a long time the capital of silk, while Prato, with its Cavalciotto, mills and fulling mills, is the capital of the wool and textile district. You can admire the impressive hydraulic system that contributed to the economic prosperity of these communities, while discovering their industrial heritage. Crossing two regions rich in history and traditions, this route winds through villages, mountain ranges and valleys. Every step along the route will allow you to immerse yourself in the natural wonders of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines and in the historical and cultural roots of the territories of these two cities, enjoying breathtaking views and meeting people who still preserve ancient traditions and crafts. The itinerary begins in the suggestive Piazza Duomo of Prato and develops in six stages. The first three stages will lead through Prato, Vaiano and Vernio, offering an overview of the wonders of the Tuscan territory. Subsequently, the journey heads towards Emilia Romagna with stops in Castiglione dei Pepoli, Grizzana Morandi, Sasso Marconi and, finally, Bologna.
More information: www.viadellalanaedellaseta.com
Via Medicea
Total length: 78.3 km
Total height difference uphill: 2,145 m
Difficulty: medium/low
Total duration: 4 days
Stages 4; Rings 2; Municipalities 9; Provinces 3
Medici Villas Unesco Heritage: 4
Connections: Via della Lana and Silk, Via Francigena
The Via Medicea is an evocative route that extends between history and legend for 78.3 km, with a medium difficulty level, which can be completed in 4 or more days. Along the route, specially signposted, you will mainly travel along local roads and CAI paths. The Via Medicea, of which the Municipality of Prato is the leader, has been recognized by the Tuscany Region as a Path of regional interest and has entered the Atlas of Paths of the Tuscany Region. The adventure begins at the Medici Cascine in Prato and ends in Fucecchio. During the route, you will have the opportunity to visit four Medici Villas, recognized today as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Among these, Villa Ambra in Poggio a Caiano and Villa La Ferdinanda in Artimino, considered masterpieces of taste and architecture. In addition to these splendid homes, you will also encounter ancient historic villages, panoramic ridges and valleys, natural parks, archaeological sites and numerous historical-artistic testimonies. Each step will lead to the discovery of a story full of charm and beauty. The Via Medicea is also of strategic importance as a connection between the Via della Lana and Silk and the famous Via Francigena.
More information: www.viamedicea.it
Via delle Rocche
Total length: approximately 40 km
Total difference in altitude: approximately 2000 m
Difficulty: medium
Total duration: 1 to 3 days
5 Municipalities: Montemurlo, Prato, Vaiano, Cantagallo, Vernio
3 Links: > The Wool and Silk Road > Via Jacopea > Via Romea germanica imperiale
The Via delle Rocche, a path between Montemurlo and the Val di Bisenzio, for the first time unites in a single route, easily accessible and divisible into stages, castles and towers immersed in nature, following the ancient medieval roads halfway up the coast, along the which still meet parish churches, abbeys and small perched villages. Immersed in a landscape of great charm, beautiful paths lead to glorious testimonies of a medieval past, emblems of famous families, such as the counts Guidi and Alberti remembered in the Divine Comedy, who competed for possession of the territory with the fierce municipalities of Florence and Pistoia . The journey through time to discover an evocative Middle Ages becomes an adventure in ever new natural scenarios, from the amphitheaters of the Serpentino del Monteferrato quarries to the sweetness of the Montemurlese hill terraces, from the boundless panoramas of the Calvana massif, up to the wildest harshness of the Upper Bisenzio Valley. A path to experience also with the family for curious young explorers.
App Pathsthe board
The app was created by Space, a Prato-based technological and design innovation company dedicated to the enhancement and communication of cultural heritage. Paths allows you to have an immersive experience along the three main routes that cross the province of Prato: it is a multilingual guide complete with itineraries and points of interest. The app was created on behalf of the tourism department of the Municipality of Prato, as foreseen within the recent tourism project financed by the Tuscany Region. Inside Paths you can subscribe to the Prato Turismo mailing list to stay updated.
