Walking Grade: Easy / Moderate – 7 night walking holiday based in Barga in the Garfagna area of Northern Tuscany

Tuscany is a beautiful region of Italy, with spectacular scenery, historical cities and art treasures in almost every village. We will be based at Albiano, near Barga in the Garfagna (enchanted wood) area of Northern Tuscany situated between the Appennines and the Alpi Apuan. Barga is small but is crammed with antiques shop, artists studios and exhibitions and even has an Opera House, cathedral and a music school. There are pretty cafes in the narrow streets inside the town walls. Our hotel is in Albiano, a small hillside village, a few kilometres from Barga with views across the valley below to the mountains beyond.

The way of life here has changed little over the centuries and farming is small scale and labour -intensive. The privately-run 2 star hotel in which we stay is also the local bar and village shop. Each evening we will meet the local people as they spill out into the square to chat. The hotel has a lovely swimming pool with terrace bar and stunning views of the mountains.

The area offers great opportunities for short walks from the hotel as well as more energetic walks in the surrounding hills and mountains. The landscape offers treasures, such as medieval villages, marble quarries and spectacular views over the green surrounding countryside. Flora and fauna abound and ancient forests remain. We travel in July when it is warm but not too hot for walking. The average maximum daily temperature is 27 in September. It is a little cooler in the mountains. It is generally sunny, with an average of 7 hours sunshine per day in September. There is good tree cover on all our walks and so we are not exposed to the sunshine for long periods.

The holiday will be accompanied by Jackie and Steve. They will be there to ensure that your holiday is as enjoyable as possible.

We walk on good tracks, often mule tracks or forest tracks. We will walk on 5 days, walking time per day is between 5-7 hours. We walk in the Orecchiella Natural Park on one day. All walks involve up-hill climbs with a maximum of 2,800 ft of ascent (equivalent to climbing Snowdon). And on this the toughest day, you have the option to visit the famous windcaves (Grotto del Vento) or do a shorter walk. We take a day out and arrange for you to visit Florence (Firenze) or if you prefer, Lucca, a beautiful walled medieval city just over an hour away. You can always take another day out of the walking programme if you would like visit both Florence and Lucca or if you want to have a day just to relax or laze by the pool.

You can combine the walking holiday with the photography weekend in Florence, which precedes this walking holiday. This will provide a fabulous 10 night stay of photography and walking in the beautiful Italian region of Tuscany.

Photography long weekend – 3 nights in Florence

Florence is a beautiful city on the banks of the river Arno in a valley set amongst low hills covered with olive groves and vineyards. It offers many photographic opportunities.

To stand in the Piazza Michelangelo looking across the river to the rooftops of the city and the Duomo, as the golden rays of the late afternoon sunlight bring out the warm colours, is truly magical. As night falls, the lamps against the warm glow of the setting sun in the night sky provide numerous photographic opportunities. Florence like Venice is a great place to improve your photographic skills, whilst capturing great images and soaking up the atmosphere of Florence.

The city has photographic opportunities gallore: the Duomo, the many churches, the Piazzale della Senora with its statues, such as (the other) David, the Ponte Vecchio. Street life, cafes, piazzas and also the many street entertainers provide endless options.

Our lovely 3 star hotel is centrally located and is within easy walking distance of many of the photographic opportunities Florence has to offer.

Accommodation for this holiday is in twin or single rooms and all rooms have a private bathroom. We will match you up to share a twin with someone of the same sex or single rooms are available for a supplement.

Join us for this photography long weekend in Florence or continue into the Tuscan hills for the walking holiday, making this a fabulous 10 night stay in Tuscany for a combined photography and walking holiday.

The trip is suitable for all photographers, however it is particularly designed for those just starting out with their digital or film SLR or those wanting to improve their skills with their SLR camera. We will make the most of the numerous photographic opportunities that Florence offers. You will spend the majority of each day taking pictures and Steve will be on hand to offer tuition in the form of in-the-field talks, demonstrations, one-to-ones, review sessions and discussions.

Those with compact cameras may also enjoy this holiday and many compact cameras have controls similar to SLRs.

You can learn about: Camera functions and handling; Composition; Planning a shot/location; Exposures; Apertures; Shutter speeds; Depth of Field, Using Filters and more!

Group size is limited to 8-10. Small groups mean that you will get the best out of the location and you will receive the personal attention you need to learn at your own pace.

What to Bring: SLR camera, Digital or Film (plus memory cards or film) and warm, waterproof clothing and suitable footwear. The following would also be an advantage: Tripod, and a Cable release.

Is this for me? SLR cameras are most appropriate and the trip is ideal for those who wish to learn how to be more creative with their cameras. If you are unsure about whether this trip is for you, please contact Steve directly by email or telephone: tracks@mangoholidays.co.uk Tel: 01902 373410 Steve's mobile: 07779 008990