Text and Pictures: Andrea Lanfri
When the best journey is the one that teaches you to slow down
If there’s one thing I’m used to, it’s moving fast. In recent years, my life has been filled with extreme crossings, towering mountains, razor-sharp ridges, expeditions to remote places, deserts, ultra trails, and adventures where every day was a challenge against time, fatigue, and my own limits.
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And yet, it was precisely from there that this new adventure was born. In May, I was supposed to be working on a completely different project: a bicycle crossing, climbing the ten highest mountains along the way. Everything was ready, but some necessary permits didn’t arrive in time, and the project was postponed. For some, it would have been a disappointment. For me, however, it turned into an opportunity.
For years, I’d had a little dream: to simply set off on foot with my partner Natacia and Arya, our tireless Border Collie. No records, no timepieces, no performance goals. Just the pleasure of walking.
In no time, we packed our backpacks and chose our destination: the **Via degli Dei**, the famous trail that connects Bologna to Florence, crossing the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines for about 130 kilometers, partly following the ancient Roman Flaminia Militare. The name derives from the mountains encountered along the route: Monte Adone, Monzuno (Monte Giove), Monte Venere, and Monte Luario.
The funny thing? It was an adventure practically on my doorstep. I live in a small town between Lucca and Pisa, and as often happens, I realized that sometimes we seek extraordinary experiences on the other side of the world without truly knowing what’s right there.
A few years ago, for my birthday, I was given a Camino guidebook and two official credentials. They sat there, waiting for the right moment. Now that moment had finally arrived.
Via degli Dei: From Bologna, we head towards the Apennines.
Our adventure began on the train. From Lucca towards Bologna, with change in Prato. The journey already had a different flavor than usual. No rush to an airport, no complicated transfers. Just the three of us, our backpacks and a great desire to leave.
As always, I couldn’t give up my independence. My backpack contained practically everything: tent, stove, food, and gear to tackle any situation. This is a set-up I carry with me from more challenging expeditions, but this time it would have a different meaning.
Upon arriving in Bologna, we headed to Piazza Maggiore, the official starting point of the Via degli Dei. We stamped our credentials, took a few obligatory photos, and then off we went, amidst the city’s endless porticoes and the first climbs leading to the hills of Bologna.
The weather promised to be the fourth travel companion. The forecast spoke of splendid days alternating with intense rain. But it wasn’t a problem. We were equipped and above all motivated. Ultimately, the beauty of a journey is accepting what comes.
Walking the Path of the Gods without haste
For those accustomed to high mountains, the Via degli Dei may seem like a simple route. Yet, it was here that I found something often missing from more extreme expeditions.
Slowness. Our days weren’t marked by rigid schedules or timetables. Sure, we had a general idea of our stops, but we weren’t really concerned about where we’d end up at the end of the day. If we liked a place, we stopped. If a forest beckoned us to stay a few more hours, we did.
We spent three nights in the woods and the others camping. We’d stop for lunch, firing up the stove to make tea or coffee. Sometimes, however, we’d indulge in cooking a plate of pasta surrounded by nature. After all, I’d brought everything I needed in my backpack, and it needed to be lighter.
This was the true essence of the trip: living in the moment.
The Way of the Gods through the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines
Stage after stage, we discovered a surprising Apennines. The spectacular profile of Mount Adone, the woods surrounding Monzuno, the ridges of Mount Venere, the remains of the ancient Roman road, the paths that ascend and descend between Emilia and Tuscany.
One of the places that most struck me was the Monte Senario complex, nestled in a magnificent forest just a few kilometers from Florence. After days spent among forests, small villages, and trails, it almost represents a bridge between the wild nature of the journey and the gradual return to civilization.
But more than the places, it was the encounters that stayed with me. The Via degli Dei is a shared journey. Every day you meet different people: those embarking on their first multi-day trek, those traveling alone, those seeking a break from the routine. They share kilometers, stories, advice, and often even a stretch of the journey. It’s those friendships forged along the trail that make a journey special.
The arrival in Florence
After days of walking, woods, and silence, Florence appears almost suddenly. You arrive with a different baggage than you set out with. Not because the journey is particularly physically demanding, but because it manages to offer something rare: time.
Time to observe, to listen, to think. Walking is probably the most natural way to travel. Thoughts flow with the rhythm of your steps, emotions emerge slowly, and the landscape becomes part of the experience.
The Via degli Dei reminded me of a simple thing: you don’t have to travel to the other side of the world to experience an authentic adventure. Sometimes all it takes is leaving home, throwing on a backpack, and setting off.
Useful information
Length: approximately 130 km.
Start: Bologna
End: Firenze
Recommended duration: 4 to 6 days, but it’s worth taking your time and customizing the stages.
Difficulty: low, suitable for those with a minimum level of fitness and a desire to walk.
Best time: Spring and autumn, when temperatures and colors make the route even more fascinating.
Personal advice: don’t turn this hike into a race. Stop to admire the view, take a break in the woods, share a stretch of road with other hikers. That’s where the true soul of the Via degli Dei lies. Your backpack: it can be very light; everything is available along the way! We even overdid it a bit!
And me? I think this was just the first of many. My annual plans will definitely include at least one walk each year.
Because, after crossing deserts, climbing mountains, and running for days on end, I discovered a truth as simple as it is powerful: walking is still one of the most beautiful ways to feel free.
ANDREA LANFRI BIO
Andrea Lanfri is a mountaineer, explorer, and former Paralympic athlete on the Italian national track and field team. In 2015, at just 29 years old, his life changed radically when he contracted severe meningitis with meningococcal sepsis: after a month in a coma, he lost both legs and seven fingers.
Despite one of the most difficult trials imaginable, he managed to transform the tragedy into a new beginning. In less than a year, he returned to sport thanks to a pair of carbon fiber prosthetics purchased through a fundraiser and began his career in Paralympic athletics. He became the first Italian athlete with a double lower limb amputee to run the 100 meters in under 12 seconds, earning three Italian records, two international bronze medals, a European silver medal, and a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships. At the same time, he rediscovered his great passion for the mountains, climbing, and mountaineering. Since 2018, he has undertaken a series of high-altitude expeditions that have led him to become the first athlete with multiple amputees to reach the summit of Mount Everest, at 8,849 meters. Over the years, he has set numerous sporting records, including a Guinness World Record for the fastest mile run at high altitude. He is also the creator of the From0To0 project, an extreme challenge that combines cycling, running, and mountaineering in a single, non-stop undertaking: starting from sea level, reaching the summit of a mountain, and returning to the sea under his own steam. His story is now a symbol of resilience, determination, and the ability to reinvent oneself, demonstrating how even the greatest obstacles can transform into new opportunities and seemingly impossible goals.
