Pignone: Karst Landscape, Trails and Historic Borgo

Pignone combines its historic borgo with trails through a karst landscape. If you are planning a hotel stay, you can focus on a walk around the village, a route towards Vernazza, or the trail to the dolines. Nature watching and local products round out these themes. The different routes and destinations can help you choose an excursion.

Trails from Pignone to the Dolines

Sentiero 556 connects Pignone, at an altitude of 180 metres, with Vernazza. At Prato di Corno, at an altitude of 730 metres, the trail meets the Alta Via delle Cinque Terre. Sentiero 556 is also part of the trail network of the Province of La Spezia. The ascent from the entrance to Grotta Grande also follows this trail.

Another route leads to the dolines of Pignone. It begins beside the municipal offices on Via Groppa and follows an old mule track to the Sant’Antonin chapel. The route includes the large Buà doline, a significant karst chasm and several caves. This gives prominence to two different excursions: a connection with Vernazza and the Alta Via, and a trail leading to the chapel and karst formations. Check the current condition of the trails before setting out.

Karst Landscape and Nature Watching

Grotta Grande extends for about 346 metres and has an elevation difference of 28 metres. It has been known since the 18th century. Its entrance is easy to reach from the nearby provincial road, but the cave is not set up for visits. Only experienced cavers with suitable equipment should enter.

The cave system on the road from Pignone to Casale is home to a bat colony and several specimens of the Geotritone Ambrosi. In the Pignone karst area, snowdrops, crocuses, primroses, violets, anemones, orchids, cyclamens and hellebores appear seasonally. Flowers vary with the season, so a visit at any one time will not show the full range.

Pignone’s natural heritage lies partly within Parco Montemarcello Magra Vara and includes the S.I.C. Zona Carsica di Pignone, the habitat of the rare Geotritone Ambrosi. Thus, alongside trails and caves, the area’s natural attractions also include designated landscape areas.

Historic Borgo and Its Trails

The historic centre is characterised by a network of caruggi. These narrow lanes are lined with important monuments, noble palaces and distinctive brightly coloured houses. The walking tour of the borgo has ten stops, leading from the tourist information office to the Romanesque parish church. The route thus connects the village centre with a specific historic destination.

The Pieve Santa Maria di Pignone, also known as Santa Maria Assunta, is mentioned in a papal document from 1149. Ponte Vecchio was once the only access to the borgo. The flood of 25 October 2011 destroyed the bridge; it was rebuilt in the following years. A walk through the area thus brings together architectural history and later events at the same historic site.

Local Products and Gli Orti di Pignone

Gli Orti di Pignone offers seasonal vegetables, produce from Val di Vara or the coast, honey, cheese, oil and wine. These include potatoes, beans, cornmeal, onions and chestnut flour, as well as traditional dishes. Event dates vary from year to year; check the current dates before travelling.

Typical products of Val di Vara include the bean varieties lumè and cenerino, red onions and mais dell’asciutto. This regional connection adds products typical of the wider Val di Vara to the overview of what is on offer at Gli Orti di Pignone.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Borghetto Di Vara, Valeriano Lunense, Cavanella Vara, Ceparana, Tirolo, Castello, Deiva Marina, Vernazza.

Go to the main travel overview: La Spezia.