The Via degli Dei (Way of the Gods) is Italy's hottest long-distance walk: 130km from Bologna's Piazza Maggiore to Florence's Piazza della Signoria, crossing the Apennines on a route that follows the ancient Roman Via Flaminia Militare (2nd century BC — stone paving still visible in the forest). The trek takes 5-6 days, climbing from the Po Valley through chestnut and beech forests, crossing the Apennine ridge at Monte Adone (654m) and the Futa Pass (903m), then descending through the Mugello into the Arno valley and Florence. The appeal: two of Italy's greatest cities as start and finish, the discovery that wilderness exists between them (you'll walk through forests for hours without seeing a road), and the satisfaction of arriving in Piazza della Signoria on foot, dusty and euphoric, while everyone else arrived by Trenitalia. Emilia-Romagna → · Tuscany →
Plan my Via degli Dei trek →Day 1: Bologna → Badolo (20km): Leave Piazza Maggiore, climb through the first Apennine foothills. Monte Adone (654m) — a rocky peak with panoramic views, the first real climb. Day 2: Badolo → Madonna dei Fornelli (25km): The Roman road appears — 2,000-year-old stone paving in the forest floor. Contrafforte Pliocenico nature reserve. Day 3: Madonna dei Fornelli → Passo della Futa (20km): The Apennine ridge crossing. Futa Pass (903m) — the German Gothic Line cemetery (WWII). The highest and most remote day. Day 4: Futa → San Piero a Sieve (25km): Descent into the Mugello valley — Medici villas, rolling Tuscan hills begin. Day 5: San Piero → Fiesole (23km): The Monte Senario pass, then Fiesole — the Etruscan-Roman hilltop above Florence. First view of the Duomo. Day 6: Fiesole → Florence (10km): Descent into Florence. Arrive in Piazza della Signoria. Touch the Palazzo Vecchio. You walked from Bologna.
Distance: ~130km. Duration: 5-6 days. Difficulty: moderate (no technical, some steep sections, max altitude 903m). Season: April-June, September-October. Summer: hot and busy. Winter: possible but cold and some accommodation closed. Accommodation: B&Bs, agriturismi, rifugi (€35-65/night with dinner). Book ahead in peak season. Waymarking: CAI red-white markers + "Via degli Dei" signs. GPX tracks downloadable from viadeglidei.it. Luggage transfer: Services available (€10-15/stage). Getting started: Bologna Centrale station → walk from Piazza Maggiore. Getting back: Florence SMN station → train to Bologna (37min by Frecciarossa, €25-35). Guidebook: "Via degli Dei" by Simone Frignani (Terre di Mezzo editore).