The Casale degli Ulivi is very close to the old town of Barga which can be reached by car in only five minutes. The ‘castle’ of Longobard origins and goes back to the XIV century, is situated on a hill closed off by walls with three gates and surrounded by the Appuan Alps and the Apennine. You will be enchanted by the Renaissance architecture of the buildings in the historic centre and the imposing churchyard of the Duomo which rises from the summit of the town offering an exceptional view of the Media Valle Del Serchio. To better enjoy the artistic charm of the town we suggest a visit to the Teatro Dei Differenti, the Chiesa di S. Francesco, the Civic Museum, the Praetorian palace and the museum-house of Giovanni Pascoli not far from Barga in Castelvecchio Pascoli to capture a sense of his poetry.

Proceeding in the direction of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana (15 min by car) you can chose whether to continue towards the Versilia Riviera or to get a flavour of the views on offer around the characteristic villages of the Garfagnana, and we can suggest a dip into nature with visits to:

- the Parco dell’Orecchiella (1 hour by car for animal lovers and botanists);

- San Romano and the Fortezza delle Verrucole (30 minutes by car through the villages of Caprignana and Orzaglia you will reach Verrucole and a short walk will bring you to the ancient Fortezza, a perfect setting for a relaxing picnic on the soft green meadows);

- the Parco delle Alpi Apuane;

- the Lago di Vagli (40 minutes by car), a special artificial lake, for its waters hide an ancient ghost town, Fabbriche, which emerges only once in every ten years when the lake is emptied in order to allow maintenance of the dam;

- Campocatino, climb to Vagli di Sopra to reach a basin modelled by an ancient glacier and dotted with characteristic shepherd’s huts used for the summer pasture;

- Gorfigliano and Gramolazzo, here you will be enchanted by the reflection of the Pisanino mountain in the clear waters of the artificial lake.

Having reached Castelnuovo and Pieve Fosciana you will arrive in about half an hour to Castiglione Garfagnana, a typical fortified town surrounded by walls going back to the XII century. From Castiglione and proceeding further, you will reach the hamlet of S. Pellegrino in Alpe (less than an hour), and we suggest visiting the sanctuary of the same name.

In the direction of Gallicano:

- Vergemoli and the Grotta del Vento which offers underground to discover a wonderful world of stalactites and stalagmites.

For further information and documentation, our guests can visit the public library in the old town, a service that Barga offers its visitors for reading, research and study, with free and easy access. As well as culture and art we suggest a relaxing dip in the open-air public swimming pool (convention with "Il Casale degli Ulivi) at only 5 minutes from il Casale Degli Ulivi, which is open every day during the summer months. There is also a covered pool in nearby Gallicano that is open all year ‘round.

From Barga you can easily reach many famous historic centres, such as:

- Lucca (not to be missed: Duomo di San Martino, where the tomb of Ilaria Del Carretto and the wooden sculpture of the Volto Santo are conserved, Piazza Napoleone in the heart of the city, the churches of San Michele in Foro, of San Paolino and of San Frediano, Palazzo Mansi and the Guinigi tower);

- Florence (to visit: Piazza della Signoria, the Duomo, the Uffizi, Santa Croce);

- Pisa (we advise: the Leaning Tower, the Baptistery and the Duomo, which are all in the famous Piazza dei Miracoli);

- Viareggio (famous sea side resort with long promenade where you’ll find shops and restaurants and a few minutes from Viareggio you can also visit Forte Dei Marmi).