Nature Route

The Abetone Forest Botanical Garden (in the upper Sestaione Valley) has been officially open to the public since 1987 and is defined as an Alpine Botanical Garden. Its area includes 3/4 of a wooded area made up of the original Apennine forest, while the remaining part is occupied by a small rock garden and a small lake. Its peculiarity is the intimate connection with the plant environment that surrounds it and the ability to guide the knowledge of the botanical rarities of the area. Although it is a recently formed Garden, in just a few years it has seen its collections and functions increase to the point of becoming a true integrated museum. The Botanical Garden has chosen to deepen the dissemination level by creating an Educational Center in Fontana Vaccaia, a multifunctional structure that allows schools and training courses to carry out a complete educational approach. In Campo Tizzoro it has been set up in two classrooms of the former S.M.I. schools. the Naturalistic Archaeological Centre of the Pistoia Apennines is a documentation centre containing prehistoric and geopaleontological finds from the North-Western Apennines, including a cave bear skeleton. The museum briefly illustrates the history of human presence in the area and offers suggestive reconstructions of environments. [texts from the Tourism Service of the province of Pistoia]