Stage 6 · Borgo Val di Taro → Bismantova
- Distance
- 118 km
- Elevation gain
- 2,990 m D+
- Suggested days
- 2
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Surface
- 98% asphalt, 2% gravel · 66% on cycle routes
- Terrain
- Emilian Apennines, passes
- Hospitality
- Shelters
GPX 1.1 file with the track, elevation and the abbeys as waypoints. Tracks are calculated on real roads and cycle routes (OpenStreetMap): check them on the ground before you set off.
Stage map
Map of the stage Borgo Val di Taro → Bismantova: track, start, finish, places to stay and abbeys
Hover the profile to see the spot on the map
Tracks calculated on real roads and cycle paths (OpenStreetMap); elevations from SRTM data — to be checked on the ground
Main climb: 18.2 km at 5.0% (up to 1,199 m)
Other climb: 7.3 km at 6.4% (up to 836 m)
This stage on Komoot
The same track is on the project's Komoot profile: save it in the app and ride it with voice navigation.
Overview
A scenic Apennine crossing between the Parma and Reggio hills, from the Val Taro to the sharp profile of the Pietra di Bismantova, the rock tower that inspired Dante's Purgatory.
Notes from the road
The ridge between Val Taro and Val Secchia alternates beech woods and open pastures. The wind changes its mind several times a day. On the pastures you meet flocks with huge white dogs, calm and distance are enough to avoid trouble. The last kilometres toward Castelnovo have gravel stretches, better to arrive with suitable tyres. The Pietra di Bismantova appears from afar as a rock anomaly, the profile Dante placed in Purgatory.
What to see
Taro valley, passes and high meadows of the Reggio Apennines, Pietra di Bismantova (isolated sandstone tower), Castelnovo ne' Monti, Hermitage of Bismantova at the foot of the wall
Where to sleep
Bismantova/Castelnovo ne' Monti area: agriturismo (45-75€), small mountain hotels (50-80€), B&Bs (55-85€)
Where to eat
Erbazzone reggiano, mountain Parmigiano Reggiano, crescentine and gnocco fritto, Reggio cured meats, bilberries and forest fruits
Tips
A long, sustained climb with varied terrain. The approach to the Pietra has gravel stretches: sturdy tyres help. This is not a recovery stage: the total climbing is among the highest on the whole route. On the real track it is 118 km and 2,990 m of climbing: better over two days, stopping at Palanzano (around km 80).
Water & supplies
Food shops in Borgo Val di Taro at the start; over the passes towards the Reggio Apennines services stay sparse, with 20-25 km gaps. Fountains in the ridge villages; wind and fog possible even in summer. Castelnovo ne' Monti, below the Pietra, has every service. Faced with Maremma sheepdogs, better not to run and not to stare. Best to dismount and use the bike as a shield toward the dog. Move away calmly, without approaching the flock.
Places to stay on this stage
- Rifugio della Pietramountain hut
Castelnovo ne' Monti, Pietra di Bismantova (via Bismantova 43/a)- Price:
- on request (0522 613238)
- Open:
- year-round (check weekday opening off-season)
- Facilities:
- guesthouse with beds, bar-restaurant serving local food, at the foot of the Pietra's rock face, next to the Benedictine hermitage
- Source:
- rifugiodellapietra.it · parks.it/rif/rifugio.della.pietra
Sleep at the base of the Pietra di Bismantova, in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park: a spectacular stage finish.
Abbeys on this stage
- Finish abbey: Pietra di Bismantova
An amateur, non-profit project. The tracks are indicative: everyone rides independently, at their own risk.