Vagli Sotto: Lakes, Nature and Culture
Accommodation in Vagli Sotto
Lake and special experiences
Lago di Vagli is an artificial lake created in 1947 by raising the dam on the Edron River. The Ponte Sospeso connects the two shores of Lago di Vagli. The 132-metre-long suspension bridge in Vagli is designed for bicycle and pedestrian traffic and is one of the largest in Europe. Its central section has a glass floor overlooking the lake.
File:Vagli Sotto dam - commemorative plaque.jpg
Photo: Petroniusniger via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Volo dell’Angelo zipline stretches 1,500 metres across Lago di Vagli, at a height of around 350 metres and with a speed of up to 150 km/h. The meeting point for the Volo dell’Angelo is at the VagliPark ticket office in Vagli Sotto, at the intersection of Strada Provinciale 50 and Via Europa. Guests who have booked the Volo dell’Angelo are taken by bus from VagliPark to the launch area.
Lakeside at Lago di Vagli
The Bioparco del Lago di Vagli includes a long lakeside promenade. The promenade offers a different spatial perspective from the Ponte Sospeso with its glass floor and the Volo dell’Angelo: it remains along the lakeshore, while the bridge and flight path run above the water.
Culture between the lake and mountains
The Parco dell’Onore e del Disonore on the shores of Lago di Vagli is home to more than twenty monumental marble statues dedicated to figures from contemporary history. The Church of Sant’Agostino in Vagli Sotto dates back to the 11th century and has remained practically unchanged to this day. Historically, several centuries separate the church in Vagli Sotto from the creation of the lake. The Casa Abrami Museum is located on the access road to Vagli Sotto. The Museo della tecnica estrattiva delle cave di marmo in Arnetola documents the social and technological development of marble extraction.
Landscape, birds and regional history
Campocatino is a basin of glacial origin located at an altitude of around 1,000 metres, with a large meadow at the foot of Monte Roccandagia. Due to its numerous bird species, Campocatino has been a LIPU nature oasis since 1991.
The village of Fabbriche di Careggine was flooded by Lago di Vagli in 1953. The villages of Pantane and Piari were also flooded during the same event. In the wider regional area around Vagli Sotto, the Via Vandelli leads from Vagli di Sopra to Passo della Tambura and then descends to Resceto.
Flavours of the Garfagnana
In the Garfagnana, IGP spelt is an important ingredient in spelt soup. The soup is prepared with potatoes, beans and occasionally a few chard leaves. Biroldo is a traditional sausage speciality of the Garfagnana, made mainly from pork head and spices.
More destinations: Pieve Fosciana, Camporgiano, Molazzana, Castelnuovo Di Garfagnana, Piazza Al Serchio, Vergemoli, Gallicano, San Romano In Garfagnana
To the main travel overview: Lucca.
