Mangia Trekkingis the leading Sports Association for trekking in Val di Vara in the province of La Spezia. The Association's main lines of work are the openingand restorationand markingof ancient paths, the architectural restorationof a 17th-century Chapelbrought to light during the work to open the ancient Via del Carlascià (400 AD), organizingand leading excursionsboth dayand nightin the Ligurian and Tuscan-Romagnol territories. The Association is non-profit, and to promote its sport it organizes conferences on trekking, during which experiences, materials, and the beneficial physical effects of extensive walking are discussed. Other initiatives of Mangia Trekking include the organization, in collaboration with the State Forestry Corps, of periodic courseson Faunaand Flora. Given the specific skills possessed by the Association's volunteers, Civil Protection actionsare also carried out in the area, officially recognized by the Prefecture, the relevant department of the Province of La Spezia, and three Municipal Administrations (Sesta Godano, Zignago, and Brugnato).
Mangia Trekking has its own Hiking Center(always open and free) with two small adjacent equipped meadows, and many of the association's initiatives start from it. Small rest areas have been created on the restored paths, one of which is covered, and an outdoor gym to make excursions more familiar. To walk with Mangia Trekking... in the lands of the ancient Ligurians.
Through initiatives of this kind, in recent years what is known as 'slow and horizontal mountaineering' has gained traction, inspired by the idea of maintaining contact with nature and, at the same time, deepening knowledge of the territories: in short, 'slow tourism'.
