Overview

A year-round destination for horse riding and snowshoeing in the mountains

At the foot of a rocky crag, near Monte Fumaiolo, Balze is a hamlet of the municipality of Verghereto, in the province of Forlì-Cesena, and is the highest village in the Romagna Apennines. Legends says that, in July 1494, the Virgin appeared there to two shepherdesses, one of whom miraculously regained her sight, the other her speech. This miracle, commemorated at the foot of a rock face by the small “Church of the Apparition” attracted the local population who settled there.

Its fantastic location allows visitors to enjoy hiking, horse riding and mountain biking. In the autumn, we recommend mushroom foraging. In winter, you can ski on the nearby slopes of Monte Fumaiolo, which is particularly stunning when the “galaverna” meteorological phenomenon covers the trees in ice. You can also enjoy snowshoeing and cross-country skiing on a 5-kilometre-long track. For visitors who love adventure, an equipped rock face with around a hundred marked routes offers the chance to go free climbing.

On Monte Fumaiolo, you can climb up to the source of the River Tiber. A stele from 1934, surmounted by a bronze imperial eagle, reads “Here is born the river sacred to the destinies of Rome”.

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