he presence of a National Park, a Regional Park, numerous Nature Reserves and two UNESCO recognitions – the Geopark of the Apuan Alps and the MAB Biosphere Reserve of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines – testifies to the rich environmental, naturalistic and historical heritage that characterizes the Garfagnana and the Serchio Valley.

Established in 1985, the Regional Park of the Apuan Alps includes the mountainous complex that extends for approximately thirty kilometers in a North-East, South-West direction parallel to the Tyrrhenian coast. The pyramidal cusp of Pisanino, with its 1947 m, is the highest peak of the chain, but each peak has its own shape that distinguishes it and its own legend, the traditions here are still strongly felt, spend a few days of holiday in one of the many small inhabited centers or simply walking along the paths marked by the CAI to reach a welcoming refuge near the top, can leave unique sensations, you can truly fall in love with these mountains.

Established in 2001, the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines National Park includes the Orecchiella Nature Reserves. The wooded ridges that separate Tuscany from Emilia Romagna give way to a true mountain environment. Here there are peaks that exceed 2000 metres, the forests give way to rocks, lakes and prairies. Further down, on the Emilian side, the Pania di Corfino stands out.
In 2015, UNESCO, recognizing the focal role of the Euro-Mediterranean climate frontier in this part of the northern Apennines, established the MAB (Man and the Biosphere) Reserve, for the Tuscan area the municipalities of Barga, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Castiglione di Garfagnana, Coreglia Antelminelli, Fosciandora, Minucciano, Piazza al Serchio, Pieve Fosciana, San Romano in Garfagnana, Sillano Giuncugnano, Villa Collemandina.

The Orrido di Botri Nature Reserve, in Bagni di Lucca, is a spectacular limestone gorge carved out by the waters. In the summer period, when the water flow is lower, it is possible to go up the final stretch. Visits are regulated in compliance with the ecological fragility of this environment which preserves more than 500 plant species.