In August I visited Vagli Di Sotto, a beautiful area of Tuscany in the Garfagnana National Park which I go to regularly due to my wife having family there. Different from the Tuscany visited in the area around Florence, which is more gentle rolling hills and can be quite expensive, this part of Tuscany is very rugged, with not too much tourism and incredible value. In Vagli near the petrol station is Bar Raddicchi, owned by Paulo, which serves excellent food at very good value; wine is included in the price and all the food is sourced locally.
Vagli is surrounded by a man-made lake constructed in 1949, and every 10 years the lake is emptied to reveal a submerged village. You can walk around the streets when this event happens, and many of the people in the area had relatives who resided there. Up above Vagli is a nature reserve called Campocatino where you can have lunch or a picnic with great views of the valley below. Other great places to visit are Old Barga – try Ricardo's restaurant – and Lucca, which is back down the mountain and on the way to the airport. You can hire a cycle and ride around the walls of the town. Most people bypass Lucca trying to get to Florence, but it is well worth taking a couple of hours within your itinerary to see the place. You can also get a train from Lucca direct into Florence should you need to.
