Trails 523 – AVG – 521: walking around the hills of the Gulf of Poets.

The route we propose today is an all-La Spezia excursion that starts from the Pegazzano district and passes through the towns of Vignale and Foce and descends back to the Rebocco district, enjoying breathtaking views of the Gulf of Poets, already highly appreciated in the nineteenth century by English poets of the time, who made it, for large stretches of their existence, their residence and the muse of their works.

The departure is from the historic Locanda del Moccia where you take path 523 which climbs towards the Vignale hill, one of the ancient mule tracks that connect the city with the hilly areas, which were important agricultural centers at the time, which supplied Piazza del Mercato with all kinds of fruit and vegetable products.

The path climbs, crossing infinite terraces of olive groves, up to the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Guardia, a splendid natural balcony that allows you to observe the city in its entirety.

Turning right, you follow a short flat stretch of the Alta Via del Golfo (AVG), which in this stretch coincides with the asphalt road, until you reach the intersection with path 521, another mule track that descends towards the Rebocco district, crossing the ancient hamlet of Sant’Anna, with its period residences of great artistic value.

Going down the 521, after leaving Sant’Anna, and arriving in Maggiano, you come across the 521C on the left which with a short detour leads to Bocca Lupara, where you can admire the old wash basins of the time, built using the water that flows from a cave, which also served as an air raid shelter during the Second World War.

The route ends in via Monfalcone, in the heart of the historic district of Rebocco.