The Apuan Alps are famous all over the world for the beauty of their marbles.
After the few kilometres of the short plain Versilia’s coast, the Apuan Alps reach suddenly the hight of 1.947 metres with the “Monte Pisanino”. Their setting, so close to the sea, their rough morphology and the calcareous nature of the main part of the mountain chain create special climatic conditions, which can be different from side to side and even from dale to dale.

The Apuan Alps Park offers a great richness of landscapes and views in which is possible to see a remarkable variety of flowers, in particular on the meadows at high altitude and on the calcareous cliff.
In this area, there are moraines, erratic blocks, dales and corries of the last glaciation. In the underground, there are deep hollows, due to the karst phenomena. For example, the cavern of “Corchia”, with a more than 70 km long development of underground ducts and a difference in height of 1210 m, is one of the main karst systems in Italy and one of the largest in the world.
The piedmont area turned to the sea is covered by the mediterranean bush, which, in the higher zones, is replaced by oak-woods, hornbeams and chestnut trees woods and beech-woods, whereas the higher cliffs are almost bare. Wolfs, bears and linxes are completely desappeared, so the alpine fauna includes now the recently introducted moufflons and wild goats.
The Park symbol is the sea-crow, of which at least 60 nidificating couples live in this area: it is possible to see it on the “Pizzo d’Uccello”, the “Monte Corchia”, and the “Monte Sumbra”, whereas the royal eagle lives in the northen side of the park. Particularly important among the vegetable species is the “Vandeboschia Speciosa” which is also portrayed in the park logotype.

At the foot of the Alps lies the Massa-Carrara province, which dues its world-wide fame to the white marble that surrounds it. Settled in the very northen part of Tuscany, this area is particularly relevant as the road crossing of important touristic destinations, being very near to the “Cinque Terre” and to the most prestigious artistic cities of Tuscany.

The Apuan Alps landscape offers a charming contrast between the sea, which washes a long sand coast, and the white mountains, where it is possible to walk along several paths immersed in the nature of the alpine park. In this area the towns of Massa and Carrara stand out for their richness of monuments, squares and buildings which are prestigious evidences of the human skill in marble working.On the coast lie Marina di Massa and Marina di Carrara, famous sea-side resorts, which represent a deserving anticipation of the shores and the facilities of Versilia.

Administrator: Ente Parco delle Alpi Apuane Typology: Regional Natural Park Expance in ha: 54.327 Provinces: Lucca, Massa Istitution: 1985 Points of Interest: Botanical gardens, Marmitte dei Giganti, Monte Forato For deepening web site: http://www.parcapuane.toscana.it