Taste the warm embrace of Italy, starting with its wild flavor … Discover the hidden beaches of the Trebbia and Aveto Rivers!
There are over 60 beaches in this book of crystal clear turquoise waters, each is its own special paradise, plus enchanted woods, impressive cliffs to jump off, waterfalls, dams, charming medieval villages, typical trattorias and best agriturismi! You will get all the information you need to enjoy your stay: “eat and sleep”, itineraries and events of the Trebbia Valley.
40 minutes from Piacenza and about 1.5 hrs from Genoa, Parma, Milan, and Alessandria.
“I’ve just crossed the most beautiful valley in the world,” wrote Ernest Hemingway as a young war correspondent following US troops during a re-con mission in the Valley of the Trebbia. In fact, to this day, it is one of the least built on, most uncontaminated and beautiful valleys in the entire Apennines. The upper valley in particular, from the spring all the way to Bobbio, awarded as “Best Italian village 2019”, is pure mountains and nature.
There are a few little towns, which are generally concentrated only in certain areas, and there are no industrial areas-- this makes the Trebbia one of the few rivers that is almost entirely unpolluted. The hard layers of limestone in the valley floor have forced the clear waters of the river to erode deep, winding passages amongst the green mountains of the Apennine near Piacenza. In the extension from Marsaglia to San Salvatore, the river makes a series of spectacular curves, which are called the Meanders of San Salvatore, a declared Site of Community Importance.
In the more or less 33 miles of valley analyzed in this guide, and particularly in the section upstream from Bobbio, the State Road runs along the river discreetly, and at regular intervals it opens up to vast views overlooking the fine sands and Caribbean-blue and emerald green waters.
Hemingway also visited the Aveto Valley, where they say he returned a second time to fish. This section of the valley we focus on is basically uninhabited and probably less sensational than her older sister, the Trebbia. The beaches, the water, and the views are equally wild, but more limited in this narrower valley. Nevertheless, this valley feels more intimate, and has some beaches that are precious little jewels. In general, the Aveto is less crowded and will welcome you those days when Trebbia is “sold out!”
