Pania della Croce
Pania della Croce
5
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The Queen of Alpi Apuane. Fantastic 360° view at the top.
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5.0 of 5 bubbles49 reviews
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Michael Walker
Leeds, UK17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2018
I loved walking up Pania della Croce last Summer (Aug 2018)

I'd say it's an intermediate hike, with some challenging rocks about 3/4 of the way up. The views are breathaking and I enjoyed 30 minutes being the only person at the summit. Give 4 or so hours to hike and stop for a wine at the refugio on the way back down!
Written March 24, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

leo_taccio
Florence, Italy180 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2017 • Friends
How to reach Pania della Croce?
There are different paths to reach from the seaside and from the interior (Isola Santa). Usually, most people take the path from the seaside, because the best season to climb up is summer and thus most of the people are located on the beaches ;)

I took the path from the interior. You can easily reach Isola Santa by car, passing by the Ponte del Diavolo, a famous tourist attraction located mid.way from Lucca to Isola Santa. You can park the car along the road there and the start you hiking.

Be ready because the final path to reach the top it is not an easy one. However, you can stop by before to relax on the night at 1,100m with a nice landscape and the possibility to see a great sunrise close by Rifugio il Robbio.

Take path 9 from Isola Santa, then after the Church St.Anna take path 11 until you reach another church (il Puntato). There is a large green hill where you can chill, breathe good air and enjoy the view. Then if you take path 128 you can reach Rifugio il Robbio and have dinner/sleep there. Mauro, the owner, is very nice typical Italian (which is good!). The cuisine is simple and delicious. Very relaxing spot. Really suggested if you want a relaxing and easy experience on the Apuane.

Otherwise, if you prefer to go up to 1859m to the top of the Pania la Croce, you should follow up path 9 - or 128 depends where you come from - till the crossroad with the path 126. There is another Rifugio, where you can sleep and put you tent closeby.
Take path 126 and start going up really fast until the top. Help your self with some sticks and/or gloves if you need it.
The path 126 will take about 2h to take you to the top if you take it easy.
After admiring the breathtaking panorama from near the big cross, you can start going down to the other side. Not that easy as it always is the way down.
From there you can easily reach Rifugio Enrico Rossi for lunch for instance, where you can refill your bottles and have a nice meal.
From here if you want to go back to Isola Santa the only way is going down following the path 139.
It is tough! In particular, because it's a path made of rocks so take it slow and carefully measure your steps. It is not a difficult path if you are a hiker, but if it's your first time take it easy because it is easy to take a wrong step on the rocks.
After reaching path 12, the way goes down very smoothly until the lake where you can decide to dive in and relax in some fresh water if it's not too late.

The whole trip from Isola Santa - top of Pania la Croce - Isola Santa (back) is usually done in 2 days, spending a night in one of the several Rifugio up on the mountain.
You can do it with your friends and as a family trip, but be careful and know your limits.
Written August 27, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Theresa55051
Brussels, Belgium184 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2012
the walk up can be trying as the last part is over scree, so wear good walking shoes or boots. Ideally one goes up the mountain in the evening and spends the night around the rifugio at the base of the Pania della Croce then leaves very early in order to see sun break from the top. On a clear day one can see the gulf of La spezia and even catch a glimpse of Elba and one or two of the other islands of the Tuscan Arcipelago. You see the Apuan alps in all their glory. A must. beware of the weather forecast though: a storm can be quite dangerous as there is no protection agains lightning once you get up among the rocks.
Written February 15, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Pania della Croce - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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