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Track details

Distance

5.7km

Duration

1h 45min

Ascent

207m

Descent

213m

Starting altitude

268m

Arrival altitude

262m

Lowest point

216m

Highest point

362m

Equi Terme

For centuries rainwater has been collected by the majesty of the mountains here, filtered into the subsoil, enriched with mineral salts that are beneficial to our health and then put back on the surface where they are collected and used not far a short distance from the medieval village. The marble core of the Apuan Alps is the origin of the healing waters that fuel the Terme di Equi baths.

The chloride-sulphate-sodium waters are classed as mineral springs. Ranging between 17 and 27°C, with an average of 24°C, these waters are regarded as hypothermal.

The waters are used to heal health problems affecting the respiratory and otolaryngology systems (pharyngitis, sinusitis, rhinitis, laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, rhinogenic deafness), skin complaints (eczema, acne, itchy skin, psoriasis), bone and joint problems (arthrosis, chronic primary polyarthritis, rheumatism in the joints, fibrositis, joint distractions, post-fractures, sciatic and lumber pain) and angiology (vasculopathy, chronic phlebopathy) through bathing from 36° to 39°C and in thermal pools at 27°C, as well as the general and localized hydromassage with thermal water, inhalations, aerosols, vaporizers, nasal irrigation, and general and partial massages.
Equi caves in Lunigiana
Equi caves in Lunigiana – Credit: GAL Lunigiana

For those seeking relaxation and wellness at Terme di Equi, try the steam room, solar shower, massages that tone and soothe, algae, mud and cold-compress treatments, beauty services and even a range of cosmetic products for the face and body.

Close to the bath, the Grotte di Equi are worth a visit, a karst complex of caves in the Apuan Alps Regional Park and acknowledged by UNESCO as a Geopark, formed over thousands of years by water erosion, carving underground tunnels, lakes and wells that are fascinating to see.

Info: termediequi.it

Equi Caves (Info and Entrance: Apuan Geo Lab)

It’s an Info point (where you can find out more about Lunigiana attractions) as well as rental point for e-bikes

Equi caves

The Grotte di Equi karst complex is a registered geosite of the Apuan Alps Regional Park, which is a recognized Geopark in the European and Global Geoparks Networks (EGN-GGN) under the auspices of UNESCO.

The Equi cave complex developed over the course of hundreds of thousands of years thanks to the action of water, which over for millennia penetrated into fractures in the calcareous rock, eroding it and leaving behind features of great beauty and naturalistic interest: shafts, galleries, chambers, and underground lakes.

The Equi cave system extends for more than 1000 meters and may be subdivided into three parts.

  • The “Buca” has been known since the early 1700s and was outfitted for excursions in the early 1960s. It is considered a fossil (“dead” or inactive) area, since water no longer flows in it.
  • The “Grotte,” or caves as such, were discovered in the mid-1900s and fitted out for excursions in the mid-1980s. This area comprises the active portion of the complex and features a series of linked halls and chambers adorned with an infinite variety of natural mineral formations.  
  • The third and last part of the complex is not open to the general public and is accessible only to speleologists.

The cave tour itinerary passes through the Buca and the Grotte on a path about 500 meters in length.

An underground river runs through the Equi caves and surfaces near the entrance. In case of heavy rains, the cavity is liable to flood and spectacular and violent water outflows into the Fagli stream may occur.

Rental Point E-MTB Lunigiana, Grotte di Equi

The  Lunigiana Sustainable Center (Coop. AlterEco and Legambiente) manages the fleet of MTB e-bikes (pedal-assisted with electric drive) of the Municipality of Fivizzano as part of the ‘Fivizzano e-bike friendly’ project.