Retreat in Cutigliano: Hiking, Chestnuts, and Italian Mountain Life

After a busy Parisian summer and a hectic back-to-school period, I needed a break. I decided to work remotely somewhere peaceful, ideally in Europe. After scouting around Lucca (awesome city, check it out!), I chose Cutigliano — a tiny medieval village in Tuscany’s mountains. Let me tell you about this little gem that became my home for a month.

1. Why Cutigliano?

Cutigliano is a charming medieval village nestled in the Pistoia Apennines of Tuscany. Perched at ~700 meters, about 50 kilometers from Florence, this tiny hamlet (around 1,500 people) sits on a spur near Monte Cuccola, surrounded by dense chestnut and beech forests. The village retains its medieval charm with narrow cobblestone streets lined by ancient stone buildings, and in 2017 it merged with neighboring Abetone to form the municipality of Abetone Cutigliano.

1.1 Pros and Cons of Cutigliano

The Good Stuff:

• Peaceful: This place is so quiet you can hear the wind whispering secrets to the trees. Perfect for deep work sessions.
• Stunning Nature: Mountains everywhere, hiking trails right from your doorstep. The air smells like pine and freedom.
• Authentic Italy: Real Tuscan mountain life, not the touristy version. Locals are friendly.
• Affordable: Cheaper than bigger Italian cities like Florence or Lucca.
• Internet: Solid “ADSL” (~20 Mbps, yep, classic copper broadband), with reliable 5G (~80 Mbps) — absolutely fine for remote work, a bit sluggish for giant uploads or 4K binges. No problem downloading a Docker image, it just takes more time.

The Not-So-Good Stuff:

• Limited Amenities: There are a few shops and restaurants, but don’t expect the variety or number you’d find in a medium or big city. It’s rural living. That said, most of my experiences with shops and restaurants were top-notch, and people were genuinely friendly.
• Transportation: Public transport is limited and mostly geared toward local commuters (e.g. students), but it’s punctual and reliable—just don’t expect dozens of options per day.

1.2 When Cutigliano is (or isn’t) for You

2. Getting There and Getting Around

I went full public transport challenge — no car, all trains and buses. Most people won’t start from Paris, so here’s the route I’d recommend starting in Florence.

2.1 The Public Transport Adventure

Step	From → To	Time	Cost	Notes
0. Plan	Arrive in Florence	—	—	Ideally, arrive by late morning (10–11am-ish). The train is easy, but the bus up to Cutigliano only runs a few times per day, so you want buffer for connections
1. Tram (T2)	Florence Airport (Peretola) → Florence SMN	~30 min	~1.70€	Timetables + tickets: use the at bus app. UX is terrible, but it lets you buy tickets online (and for the tram it’s a nice way to skip the ticket machine line)
2. Train (regional)	Florence SMN → Pistoia	~45 min	~5€	Tickets + timetables: I used the Trainline app and it worked very well (you can also use Trenitalia app/website)
3. Bus (line 54)	Pistoia train station → Cutigliano Bivio	~1h30	~5€	Use the bus stop right outside the station exit. Verify you’re taking the 54 that stops at Cutigliano Bivio (there are two bus variants). Only a few buses per day, so check schedules. Timetables + tickets: the at bus app is handy to pay online
4. Walk	Cutigliano Bivio → village center	~20 min uphill	Free	The walk is along the main road with very little space for pedestrians, so watch for cars. There is a local bus up to the village, but it’s very infrequent—assume you’ll do this last bit on foot

2.2 Car vs. No Car

With a car, you’ll have way more flexibility to explore the region: rent in Florence / Pistoia and drive (~2 hours to Cutigliano), and day trips to places like Lucca, Bologna, or Modena become easy. The only caveat is that mountain roads can be narrow, so it’s not ideal if you’re not comfortable driving in that kind of terrain.

Without a car (like me), you’re mostly limited to Cutigliano and the immediate surroundings, and you’ll plan around the bus schedule. On the upside, you walk a lot (hello leg muscles) and the whole experience feels more local and slower-paced.

3. What to Do Around Cutigliano

Cutigliano is all about outdoor activities, especially hiking. In winter, the area shifts toward snow-based activities (skiing, snowshoeing, etc.), but I visited in shoulder season.

Whatever activity you pick, bring water, a snack, and basic sun/rain protection — mountain weather changes fast.

3.1 Pian di Novello Biogenetic Reserve

It’s a biogenetic forest reserve — basically a protected area meant to preserve the “genetic heritage” of the forest (old-growth beech woods, native ecosystems) and keep the landscape wild and resilient. You can find more details on rgpbio.it/riserva/piano-degli-ontani/ and Google Maps.

Inside the reserve, there are lots of different paths you can take, with multiple hiking routes that are properly maintained. That said, I still recommend coming with an offline map and a couple of GPX tracks loaded on your phone, so you don’t waste time second-guessing trail junctions.

Access-wise, you can come by car (there are a few parking areas near the entrances), or by bus from Cutigliano. One option is to ride from “Casotti Cutigliano” to “Pianaccina, Pian di Novello” using line 454. You can also use line 54 (more frequent), but that means getting off at the nearest stop and walking roughly 1 hour to reach the forest.

My Strava activity: I started a bit before the reserve entrance because the bridge was under maintenance and the bus could not reach, so I ended up doing a small detour on foot.

3.2 Scaffaiolo Lake

Lake Scaffaiolo is a small mountain lake sitting around 1,775 meters on the Tuscany / Emilia-Romagna border; the name is thought to come from the Lombard word scaffa, meaning a “hollow” or “depression” in the ground. See Wikipedia and the Visit Pistoia page if you want the quick facts.

It’s perfect for a 3h round-trip from Cutigliano. The simplest option is to take the cable car (funivia) from Cutigliano (Google Maps, and prices), which (in my experience) usually runs about every ~30 minutes. It drops you in Doganaccia (which has a bunch of activities too — see doganaccia2000.it). From there, hike to the lake, then come back the same way.

Bonus points:

• Book a table at Nonno Cianco (mentioned below) for lunch or dinner — it’s right next to the cable car.
• My Strava activity for this hike.

3.3 Other Activities

• Winter sports: Alpine skiing and snowshoeing are the big ones around Abetone/Cutigliano — see the official pages for alpine skiing and snowshoeing.
• Adventure parks: There are tree-top adventure parks in the area (courses in the woods, suspension bridges, etc.) — see Adventure Park.
• Cutigliano town: If you want something calmer, just explore Cutigliano itself (Palazzo Pretorio, old streets, churches) — Visit Pistoia: Abetone Cutigliano.
• Day Trips: With a car, you can reach Lucca (1h15), or even Bologna (2h15).
• More ideas: Activities - Abetone Cutigliano and Visit Pistoia.

3.4 The Most Important Activity: Rest

But honestly? The best part was just resting. Working remotely means your brain is constantly “on” — noise, pings, little signals everywhere — and being somewhere secluded like Cutigliano makes it easier to actually switch that off. You fall back to the basic human stuff (sleep, walk, eat, repeat), and after a few days you can literally feel the difference: better recovery, calmer baseline, etc.

Speaking of eating…

4. Where to Eat in Cutigliano

If you’re coming from France, the vibe feels familiar: simple, seasonal ingredients, and quality over complexity. The trade-off of a secluded village is less variety (you won’t have 50 options for everything), but if you know how to cook a bit, it’s honestly a non-issue.

4.1 Shopping for Food

Weekly Market (Tuesday Morning): Don’t miss the mercato in the main square! Fresh produce and fish. It’s where locals shop, so prices are fair and everything is fresh.

Main Food Shops:

• Opening hours: This is a small village, so hours can vary a lot (and Google Maps isn’t always up to date). Best is to check the schedule posted on the door — and if you’re unsure, just ask.
• Grocery stores:
  • Pagliai Tiziana — more “specialty”: lots of pasta, cheese, biscuits, and giftable products.
  • La Botteghina — more generalist, less specialized, and it has more than food items too — e.g. basic household supplies. It’s right off the main village square, so it’s hard to miss.
  • Via Roma (Google Maps listing is a bit messy, but it’s here: maps.app.goo.gl/u5hN3Va2aWTX72kB9) — best “middle ground” for variety/quantity, with fresh products too.
• Butchers (meat):
  • Rossi Francesco.
  • Nesti Maria Teresa.
• Bakery: there isn’t a dedicated bakery in town, but you can find bread and basic pastries in the shops above, plus some options in the café listed below.

4.2 My Favorite Restaurants

All the places below are top-notch, so you don’t really need to worry about quality — just check prices in advance and pick what matches your budget.

Place	Why I recommend it	Link
Caffè Italia (village café)	The village café on the main square — the place where people gather for a drink and share a pastry. Perfect whatever the weather (hot or cold).	Link
Pizzeria Bona la Terza (pizzeria)	Wood-fired pizza with a light dough (not too thin), easy to digest, and consistently great quality. Prices are honest, and I’d especially recommend their calzones.	Link
Trattoria da Fagiolino (trattoria)	This place is a Michelin recommendation and it shows. Exquisite Tuscan cuisine with creative twists. Price-wise, it felt like a brasserie in Paris: not cheap, but honestly very reasonable for the quality. Book ahead!	Link
Nonno Cianco (classic Italian)	My go-to for classic Italian with a view. Perched on a hill overlooking Cutigliano, the terrace offers stunning panoramas. Solid pasta dishes and wine selection. Just really good Italian comfort food. Book ahead!	Link

5. Where to Sleep

Accommodation options are surprisingly good for such a small village, but availability depends a lot on the season — so book ahead if you can.

• Official directory (Abetone / Cutigliano): Where to stay.
• Hotels in Cutigliano:
  • Hotel Villa Patrizia: Google Maps · Website (very close to the Doganaccia cable car).
  • Hotel La Valle: Google Maps · Website.
  • Agriturismo La Buca: Google Maps · Website.
• Airbnb:
  • My pick: Solange’s place — well-designed, well-equipped, quiet, and in a great location.
  • Search: Cutigliano homes on Airbnb.

6. Last but not least

Sometimes, the best travel experiences come from embracing limitations rather than fighting them. No car? Walk more. Limited restaurants? Eat like locals. The result? A deeper connection with the place.

If you’re considering a similar retreat, Cutigliano might just be your perfect escape. Just pack good walking shoes and an appetite for hills! 🇮🇹🏔️