Park of the Hundred Lakes

Description

Parco dei Cento Laghi (The Park of the Hundred Lakes) spreads across mountainous rocks for many kilometers. It is the ideal place for a summer vacation, given that the temperatures here are never over 20 degrees, so you’ll need to take a sweater with you! There are beech trees, many streams, pastures and meadows to enjoy. The flora and fauna of the Park of the Hundred Lakes (in reality there are 19) is like a protected oasis; in fact, there are rare flowers here, and in the woods, you can often see martens, venison, eagles and owls. By the way, your mobile phone has almost no coverage in this area.

If you are visiting Parma, go to see the Park of the Hundred Lakes. There are not many tourists here, so climb to the top of the Apennines and you will remember the indescribable views for a long time. In the Park of the Hundred Lakes there is a parking area (marked on the map), located at a height of 1275 m / 4183 ft. above sea level, where you will also find a refuge and the Refuge Lagdei Restaurant. They serve local food at a good price.

Getting to the top of the Apennines from Parco dei Cento Laghi

The first part of the trail is the climb to 1507 meters / 4944 ft. above sea level, to Lake Santo. Use the chairlift of Parco dei Cento Laghi, if is open, or walk along the trail (it is highlighted in yellow on the map below). It takes about an hour to walk up to Lago Santo (Holy Lake).

After the climb you can rest in the small cafe near the Holy Lake. The trail to the top of the park of the Apennines starts from here (green line on the map), the walk will take approximately 40 minutes to the crossroad. Then you can reach the two peaks: Monte Aquilotto (1781m turning left, 15 minutes) and the main peak, Monte Marmagna (1852m turning right, 30 minutes): these roads are marked by the blue line.

After you have enjoyed the fresh mountain air with the beauty of the mountains and rivers impressed on your memory, you can return to the parking area via the same route, or turn onto the “727” trail (purple line). The descent will require a little less than 2 hours.

Main information

Parking address: str. Lagdei, Italia.
Distance from Parma: 60 km / 37 miles.
How to get there: by car (1 hour and 15 minutes). Use the car rental site.
The time it takes to walk these trails: the climb to the top of the Marmagna from the parking area requires little more than 2 hours; including the descent, a break near the lake and at the top, calculate at least 6 hours for the excursion.
Places of interest nearby: The Castle of Torrechiara (along the road).

When to visit the Park of the Hundred Lakes

We suggest you visit the Park of the Hundred Lakes in the period from mid-April to the end of September. But keep in mind that on sunny weekends in July and August the restaurants and bars in this area are crowded, as people seek relief from the heat. So, if you want to avoid parking problems, arrive at least by 10am.