The first Apennine stage is quite short, it flows quickly and without difficulty.
It offers interesting historical passages (the town of Ferrania) and a beautiful view from the top of the Rocca di Adelasia, a place of legends.
The only water point is in Ferrania.
On a comfortable and wide flat path, we resume the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri. Once back on the asphalted road for a short distance, we take the carriage road on the left, which goes up and down, passing under an imposing 19th-century cableway, still active and used for the transport of coal.
We arrive at the town of Ferrania, once the site of an important photographic film factory. We leave the village and, always on an excellent road, we enter the woods of the Adelasia Reserve.
After a first leveled stretch in the wide valley floor, we turn left onto the path (always in good conditions) along the Rio Psigni. We enter the woods and begin the only climb (about 250 m height difference) of the day, reaching easily the Rocca dell'Adelasia, a small rock lace that offers a beautiful view of the dense woods below.
We continue on the hillside path until we reach the asphalted road. Instead of taking it, with a sharp bend, we take the carriage road that slightly climbs up to Cascina Miera.
Working in the factory in Ferrania, in the homonymous town, four thousand people have supplied us for decades with the tools to imprint our historical memory: they produced films, slides, 8mm films ...
The origin of the company dates back to 1882, with the dynamite factory Sipe (Società Italiana Prodotti Esplosivi - Italian Explosive Products Company) which, at the end of the Great War, converted to film production for the nascent film industry. Later, it became Ferrania Technologies and for decades all the families in the town had something to do with the factory, and all the Italians, even if they did not know Ferrania as they knew the 500 or Barilla, photographed the world thanks to Ferrania products. In 1964 it was bought by a US company and a few years later the Italian brand vanished from every product.
In the following decades, the production has changed, trying to renew itself continuously but, with the advent of digital, it has drastically decreased together with the employment, until the company closed in 2017.
Just east of Colle di Cadibona, on the northern side of the Ligurian Apennines, is the Adelasia Regional Nature Reserve.
Its main attractions are the rock formations, such as the Rocca dell'Adelasia, the richness of water, forming streams and waterfalls, and the majestic beech, holm oak, and chestnut woods. After decades of progressive deterioration of the air quality, due to local industrial activity, the reserve has become a real green lung, allowing a clear improvement in the natural habitat.
The Reserve owes its name to the legend of Princess Adelasia, daughter of Otto I of Saxony: legend has it that she found refuge in these woods, fleeing with Aleramo, the squire she fell in love with and married against her father's will. Once they reached the sea, the two founded the city of Alaxia, the current Alassio.
The Ligurian cuisine, contrary to what one might imagine, is not just seafood cuisine. In the past it was risky to settle on the coast, exposed to pirate attacks, therefore, there are also many dishes with inland products and the flavors of the forest: mushrooms, truffles, chestnuts, cold cuts, and cheeses.
Among the first courses, we find many stuffed pasta: raviolini with herbs, ravioli with pumpkin, chestnuts, borage or stuffed with vegetables, which go well with rabbit sauce.
Cascina Miera, in the Adelasia Nature Reserve. Tel. +39 338 693 1783
Starting point reachable by car.
Starting point reachable by bus from the city of Savona.
Here the LINK to check the timetables.
Starting point NOT reachable by train.
Va' Sentiero is a grassroot project, thanks to the spontaneous contribution oft housands of people.
Even the most complicated dream, a 7,000km uphill dream,
can be achieved... together.
Grazie!
