Wonders of Garfagnana: The Wind Cave

The Grotta del Vento is located in the natural park of the Apuan Alps, in the province of Lucca, northern Tuscany, in Garfagnana.  This is an area rich in spectacular and interesting karst phenomena and it is among the most complete caves in Europe, presenting an extraordinary variety of phenomena which are illustrated with precision and competence by expert guides. Here the atmospheric agents incessantly dig, sculpt and shape the limestone rocks, giving rise to majestic natural sculptures, such as the Pania rock, the enormous natural arch of Monte Forato or the stone waterfalls and crevasses of the Vetricia plateau.

Immersed in this evocative setting, Grotta del Vento can be visited via comfortable paths that allow you to admire all the wonders of the underground world in the light of spotlights: from the living and brilliant stalactites and stalagmites to the polychrome flows, to the alabaster draperies, to the lakes encrusted with crystals, underground waterways and bizarre forms of erosion.

Turistic itineraries:

There are three itineraries :

The "first" lasts about an hour and has no significant height differences and is almost everywhere covered in splendid limestone concretions;

the second (two hours), including the first, offers the charm of a mysterious underground river that crosses vast environments with smooth rocks;

The third (three hours) allows a complete visit to the cave and adds the thrill of a vertical branch in which the path maintains maximum comfort and maximum safety, even along incredible passages suspended in the void of a seemingly bottomless abyss.

The internal temperature is mild (+10.7° C), a pleasant interlude of well-being both during the summer heat and during the cold winter.

Outside there is a bar, a large shop selling minerals and fossils from all over the world and a picnic area with benches, tables and fountains.

The wind cave is open every day except December 25th.

The 1st itinerary can be visited every day

the 2nd and 3rd itineraries are open every day from 1st April to 1st November, from 26th December to 6th January, and every Sunday and holiday for the rest of the year.

The possibility of choosing between various visit itineraries makes it an ideal excursion destination for individuals, couples, families, school or adult groups, gatherings, etc.

How to reach the Wind Cave

From Lucca: 50 km, 1.00-1.20 hours Grotta del Vento is located in the center of Garfagnana, a mountain area that coincides with the upper valley of the Serchio river. The area is surrounded by several motorways (A1, A11, A12, A15), however, whichever of them you come from, the best way to reach the cave is to take the A11 Firenze-Mare and exit at Lucca (east or west indifferently) From Lucca you must then follow the signs for Castelnuovo Garfagnana, or the brown tourist signs that simply indicate "Garfagnana".

About 37 km from Lucca, still following the signs for Castelnuovo, you arrive at Gallicano, where you come across the first signs indicating the cave. You then leave the road at the bottom of the valley, cross the center of Gallicano and follow the signs for the Grotta del Vento. After about 12 km. of the mountain road you reach your destination.

From Capannori: km 53, 1.00-1.10 hours. For those coming from Florence following the A11, it is possible to save time and kilometers and avoid the city traffic of Lucca by taking the exit Capannori. From the toll booth, leave Porcari on the right, continue towards Marlia, then follow the signs for Castelnuovo Garfagnana up to Gallicano and detour towards the Grotta del Vento. At the time this text is written, the signs for the Garfagnana from the Capannori toll booth are not clear. We therefore recommend this route only to those who have an updated navigation system.

Alternative Roads

For those wishing to take mountain roads, sometimes narrow and windy, but panoramic various solutions are listed below. It should be kept in mind that, although they shorten distances, these roads can require significantly longer travel times than the solutions proposed above.

From Aulla, via Passo dei Carpinelli (842 m): km 85, 2.00-2.40 hours. From the A15 exit at Aulla, then follow the signs for Fivizzano. Along the road to Fivizzano, about 12km from Aulla, take the crossroads for Castelnuovo Garfagnana. Once you arrive in Castelnuovo, continue in the direction of Lucca until you reach the town of Gallicano, then follow the signs for the Grotta del Vento.

From Massa, via Arni: km 70, 2.00-2.30 hours From the A12 exit at Massa and enter the city centre. Then follow the signs for San Carlo and Castelnuovo Garfagnana. Once you arrive in Castelnuovo, continue in the direction of Lucca until you reach the town of Gallicano, then follow the signs for the Grotta del Vento. This route is the most scenic but is not recommended in winter and in bad weather.

From Forte dei Marmi, via Galleria del Cipollaio: km 72, 2.00-2.30 hours From the A12, near Forte dei Marmi, take the Versilia exit, then follow the signs for Seravezza and Castelnuovo Garfagnana. Once you arrive in Castelnuovo, continue in the direction of Lucca until you reach the town of Gallicano, then follow the signs for the Grotta del Vento. This route should also be avoided in case of persistent bad weather.

From Modena, via Passo delle Radici (1529 m): km 136, 3.00-3.40 hours From the A1 exit at Modena Nord, then follow the signs for Sassuolo. Then continue in the direction of Passo delle Radici, bypassing Montefiorino and crossing Piandelagotti.

From Passo delle Radici follow the signs for Castelnuovo Garfagnana up to Pieve Fosciana. A little further on, deviate in the direction of Lucca up to the town of Gallicano, then follow the signs for the Grotta del Vento. Due to snow it is best to avoid this route in winter.

From Reggio Emilia, via Passo di Pradarena (1579 m): km 142, 3.00-3.40 hours. From Reggio Emilia take the SS 63 in the direction of Castelnuovo Monti. Once past Castelnuovo, continue until Busana where you turn off towards Ligonchio. From Ligonchio go up to Passo di Pradarena, go down to Castelnuovo Garfagnana, then to Gallicano, then follow the signs for the Grotta del Vento. Due to snow, avoid this route in winter.

From Bologna, via Porretta Terme, San Marcello Pistoiese: km. 136 approximately, 3.00-3.40 hours From the Bologna Casalecchio toll booth, follow the A1 motorway to Sasso Marconi, then the SS 64 to Porretta Terme. Three kilometers further, in Ponte della Venturina, turn right and continue to Pontepetri, where, turning right again, you pass San Marcello Pistoiese, reaching La Lima and continuing towards Bagni di Lucca. Then following the signs for Castelnouvo, reach Gallicano and continue towards the Grotta del Vento.

Note for the use of GPS navigatorsIn many modern navigators it is possible to set “Grotta del Vento” as the destination. However, with this setting, many navigators suggest particularly uncomfortable and winding roads in the final part of the route. For this reason we recommend setting the navigator to Gallicano and from Gallicano following the road signs for the Grotta.

For those who still want to set the navigator to the final destination and do not have the Wind Cave among the preset destinations,

the exact address is:

via Grotta del Vento,

1Municipality of Fornovolasco

Province of Lucca

Coordinates:

Lat. 44°02'03” N (Decimal: 44.0341° N)

Lon. 10°21'27” E (Decimal: 10.3575° E)

Official site