Cerreto Laghi

Cerreto Laghi at two and a half kilometres to the east of the pass of the same name (the SS 63 continues descending into Lunigiana for Sassalbo, Fivizzano, Aulla and la Spezia), is one of the most important and equipped summer and winter tourist resorts of the entire Apennine ridge. It is located in a basin of glacial origin under Mount La Nuda. The tourist centre has developed around a system of lakes formed in past geological ages from the weathering of ancient glaciers. The most famous of these water courses is Lake Cerretano, at the bottom of which we find lakes Scuro, Le Gore and Pranda (the latter is artificial). Already back in the '50's the first ski-lifts and facilities were being used and over the years they have expanded to make up today's winter tourist resort (5 chair-lifts, 3 ski-lifts, 25 km of downhill slopes, 5 km for cross country skiing, artificial snow facilities, ice rink for 2000 people, reception hotel with 600 beds). Besides skiing, which is the major sporting activity, Cerreto Laghi in the summer offers excursions on foot, horseback or by mountain bike along paths which lead to the tallest peaks of the Parco Nazionale dell'Appennino Tosco-emiliano, giving splendid panoramic views of the underlying valleys.
Historical Information. Throughout the Middle Ages the area where Cerreto Laghi is now situated constituted a rather decentralized area, probably subject to sporadic visits. It was only at the beginning of the XVI - XVII centuries, during the Estense period, that, given the presence of extensive wooded areas, an iron foundry, in the underlying Riarbero Valley, was built. The mineral was wrought here having been transported from Tuscany. For a long time the whole Cerreto area was lived in mostly by coalmen, who, coming up from the Tuscan side (and in particular from the Sassalbo area), would following the seasons go to exploit the beech wood to produce wood coal charcoal which was then sold in Liguria and the Po plain. It was only in the 50's that the Cerreto Laghi resort was established.
(AA.VV, edited by Giuliano Cervi, Pier Giorgio Oliveti 1997).

Dista dal capoluogo km 15.
E' facilmente raggiungibile percorrendo la SS 63 fino al passo del Cerreto per poi proseguire lungo la SP 58 verso Cerreto Laghi. Autolinee: ACT Reggio Emilia (tel. 0522 927611), ATC La Spezia (tel. 0187 522511), CAT Aulla (MS) (tel. 0187 420104)

Apennines of Reggio Emilia

Additional Information
It is easily reached following the SS 63 up to Cerreto and then taking the SP 58 towards Cerreto Laghi. It is 15 km from the administrative capital.
Bus Lines:
There is an ACT bus service from R.E. (Tel. 0522/9276117)
There is an ATC bus service from La Spezia ( Tel. 0187/420104),
There is a CAT bus service from Aulla (MS) (Tel. 0187/420104) Altitude: 1355 m