In Montemarcello Park, a botanical garden without fences
The Montemarcello promontory is quite unique for the nature and view it offers: almost a raft stretched out over the sea, this plateau (350 metres of altitude) offers a 360° panorama. On one side il Golfo dei Poeti - the Poets Gulf, with Portovenere, the isles of Palmaria and Tino; on the other side the Magra delta framed by the stark white background of the Apuane Alps. The Botanical Garden is a jewel in the crown; from the town of Gruzza take the road that connects Montemarcello and Serra: in the vicinity of a bus stop, a first road sign indicates the unpaved road that goes up to Mt. Murlo (at an altitude of 365 m, for a total difference in height of 95 metres). The trail immediately crosses an Aleppo Pine forest, and then a patchy area which, in the spring, blooms with dwarf iris and white rock roses. Then there is a level stretch, with a few houses, after which the ascent begins again: to the right of the right, more maquis, with strawberry trees, heather, holm-oaks and Aleppo pines; on the opposite side there is an oak wood, populated mostly by downy oak. Leaving an unpaved road to your right, continue towards the top of the hill, crossing a thick woods with turkey oak and downy oak. When it is almost at the top, the trail levels out: it is about a half-hour walk to the Botanical Gardens, divided into various sections: Garigue, Maquis, Aleppo Pine, Deciduous Oak-wood. Each section is described by a panel. Reading the panel, we learn that Garigue refers to patchy vegetation constituted by small bushes. This area is dominated by thyme, rue, helichrysum and pitch trefoil. The Maquis is evergreen: low maquis refers to a zone of shrubs, the high maquis is made up of small trees. The most widespread species in this area are lentisk, myrtle, alaternus, phillyrea, strawberry trees and holm-oak. The Aleppo Pine forest is sparse: the underbrush gets a lot of sun, favouring the development of maquis and garigue. The section dedicated to deciduous oak-woods, typical of cooler environments, are dominated by turkey oak and downy oak; the underbrush is populated by hawthorn, scorpion senna, ruscus, privit, primrose, hellebore. The traditional local plants are gathered in a small area: among these, binello fig, known and used since ancient times. A visit to the Botanical Garden takes about three quarters of an hour, on average, and there is no need for a guide. For a more detailed visit, guides can be contacted through the Montemarcello Magra Park Authority.
The Botanical Garden may be reached in several ways: by car, exit at Sarzana (A12 Genoa-Livorno) and follow the directions for Romito Magra and Ameglia. Beyond Ameglia, continue for Montemarcello, then towards Lerici until you reach the town of La Gruzza. Alternatively, you can exit at Santo Stefano Magra, continuing towards Lerici, then on to Montemarcello. By train, get off at Sarzana (Genoa-Rome line) and then continue by bus, with the ATC interurban Spezia line (Sarzana-Ameglia-Montemarcello).
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Length: 33 km
Difficulty: E/F
Altitude: max. 610 m slm
Dirt road: XX
Time necessary: XXX
Recommended season: all year
Dislivello: max. 780 m
Ospitality in this area:
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