Apuan Alps Geopark

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 The Buca e Tecchia tourist Caves 
are located in Equi Terme of Fivizzano (Massa Carrara)

The village of Equi Terme is situated at the northern edge of the Apuan Alps Regional Park, in the Lunigiana hinterland, at about 260 mt above sea level.
It is easily reachable by car:

  • Tollgate Aulla A15 (E31) Parma-La Spezia: exit take the "Strada del Cerreto" national road (SS) n. 63, at Cormezzano follow the "Garfagnana" regional road (SR) n. 445 to Gragnola, then carry on towards Equi Terme
     

  • Rail Station FF.SS., Equi Terme, Aulla-Lucca line

  • Airport Galileo Galilei, Pisa

  • Bus service: CAT, Aulla-Fivizzano, route n. 33, 10 trips to day

opening times

calendar 2011

tickets prices
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Apuan itineraries
Buca e Tecchia d'Equi karst complex
(tourist routes)

Equi Caves is an old spa village in the Apuan Alps. Inside the Park, you can enter one of the three cavities - la Buca, le Grotte or la Tecchia; or follow the Solco di Equi trail along a natural canyon, to find a small burial cave called Tana della Volpe; or step back in time in the reconstruction, near the karst complex, of everyday prehistoric life and find out what life was like for our long-lost forefathers. In addition, it is also possible to take part in experimental palethnological activities.


Visit to underground route
 
Buca (and Grotte) di Equi
The itinerary star at the Buca, which was already known in the 1700s. The path leads up to a terrace overlooking a vertical drop cleaved into the mountain, where various species of birds, including golden eagle, build their nests. Then it continues into a labyrinth of rooms, galleries and passageways with fossil formations.
From the Buca you can access a cavity that is still in formation, le Grotte, or the caves, adorned with stalactites, stalagmites and all sorts of natural formations. There is also a "photholing part", currently not open to the public rich in karst elements.
Only animal remains, and no human traces, have been found inside the cave, as they have probably been taken away by the waters of the underground springs.
At present, the internal walkway that links the Grotte to the Tecchia is currently being completed.
The outside path is steep with a vertical drop into the Fagli brook. It is dangerous and we recommend that you do not follow it.
Tecchia di Equi
An ancient shelter for men and animals: objects and animal remains tell the story of this cave, which started 40,000 years ago and continued untill the Middle Ages.
Archaeological research at the beginning of the 1900s brought to light stone and bone objects that belonged to Neanderthal hunters and not just skeletons of wolves, foxes and marmots, but also of animals that are not to be found in the area's fauna today, such as the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus), lion and leopard. Instead, evidence of funeral rites and burials from the Copper Age tell us that the cave was used later as a burial ground.


 

 photo by Legambiente

 geosite description

geographic location:

 

geological map:

 


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