Hiking 85 Miles Bologna to Florence | Italy's Ancient Trail

Tips for those hiking the path:

I was coming up from Naples to hike the Via Degli Dei. After arriving at the Florence train station SMN, I stored some belongings at the nearby lockers, got a fuel cartridge, then went back to the train station and rode to Bologna. If you have extra gear and clothes with you that you won't need for the trip, the storage locker will be an awesome option! It was only 5 euros per day and I used 'Stow Your Luggage'. I tried Radical Storage at first but they just had a big room for the luggage not actual lockers. Check out the Trainline app or Rome2Rio for buying train tickets.

After arriving at the Bologna train station I immediately started the hike. You'll see that the AllTrails path also starts right from Bologna Centrale. Originally I intended to stay in Bologna for the night - it looked like an amazing city - but I waited too long and all the hostels got booked up.

This trail is marked moderately well. In many placed the trail splits in to two or three different trails, so it's helpful to have a digital map. More than once I accidentally left the main trail, but it was okay because it was only a small detour and the views were still amazing!
This trail is steeped in history. Created in about 187 AD, and used for the Roman Military, you will be walking on stones that are ancient!

My favorite part of this trip? There was a magical day when I met three different groups of people and talked with them for most of the day. It was as we reached the peak of the hike, and then by the evening descended down in to Tuscany. The final people I met, a Belgian couple, let me stay in the extra bed int heir hotel room. We ate local fare at one of the only restaurants in town. I will never forget this day.

The views were 10/10!! I couldn't get over this place. Houses were perfectly perched on mountaintops overlooked 20 miles of valley. It was supposed to rain each day of the hike but never ended up raining besides a little on the last day. I think the potential for rain slightly reduced the visibility to about 25 miles, but it also brought clouds and shade which were welcome!

Normally I hike with trail runners but this trip I actually brought both Hoka running shoes and also my Altra Lone Peak trail shoes. The trail frequently switches from road to trail, and it was good to get out of my trail runners when walking on the asphalt. It also gave a chance for the other shoe to dry.

Overall this was one of the best hikes I've ever done and I would highly recommend it!

AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/italy...

#Hiking #ViaDegliDei