Febbio at Monte Cusna: Ski Resort, Trails and Local History

Febbio lies at the foot of Monte Cusna in the upper Secchiello Valley. Its ski resort and summer routes sit alongside hiking trails, an old transport route and the Church of San Lorenzo Martire. If you’re looking for a hotel for a stay in Febbio, consider what you plan to focus on: winter sports, mountain trails or the history of the town offer different possibilities.

Monte Cusna and activities throughout the year

Monte Cusna reaches 2,121 metres and is the highest peak in the Apennines of Reggio Emilia. The Febbio ski resort offers 20 kilometres of downhill ski runs. In summer, it has downhill and cycling routes. These activities vary by season: downhill ski runs suit winter plans, while downhill and cycling routes are a summer highlight.

The two-section chairlift runs from Rescadore to the ridge of Cusna, which lies at an altitude of over 2,063 metres. If you have specific plans, check current operating information before your visit.

Hiking trails: starting points, destinations and trail markings

The Vallestrina e Passone hiking trail starts and ends in Rescadore di Febbio at an altitude of 1,150 metres. It is marked with CAI trail numbers 609, 611, 607 and 615. Trail 617, by contrast, runs from Peschiera Zamboni to the summit of Monte Cusna. The two descriptions therefore differ clearly in their starting and ending points: one trail returns to Rescadore, while the other ends at the summit.

The Percorso Natura Valle del Secchiello is marked SP on the Emilia-Romagna regional hiking map and follows CAI trail 609 for its entire length. Its endpoint is in Rescadore di Febbio, near the weather station. Unlike the Vallestrina e Passone trail, which has four specified markings, this nature trail is assigned to CAI 609 throughout.

Historical traces in Febbio

The ancient Via Maremmana ran from the villages of Febbio through Passo delle Radici into the Garfagnana. The original paving is still visible in the Febbio area. The route of the historic road and its surviving paving offer two specific points of reference for understanding this chapter of local history.

The Church of San Lorenzo Martire can also be viewed through its various construction phases. It was first completely rebuilt around 1664. The present-day church was rebuilt in 1933 in a hundred days, after a landslide triggered by an earthquake irreparably destroyed the previous church and bell tower in 1920. The dates distinguish the first complete rebuilding, the destruction of the earlier building and the later reconstruction. The hundred days add the duration of the rebuilding to this sequence.

Rescadore and the astronomical observatory

The Osservatorio Astronomico di Febbio “Pierino Zambonini” is located in Rescadore at an altitude of 1,100 metres, at the foot of Monte Cusna. It is another precisely identified landmark in the mountain landscape. Its elevation can be compared with the summit height of Cusna: the observatory lies at 1,100 metres, while Monte Cusna reaches 2,121 metres.

Discover more destinations: Villa Minozzo, Massenzatico, San Bartolomeo, Campagnola Emilia, Ramiseto, San Martino In Rio, Gattatico, Gaida

For the main travel overview: Reggio Emilia.