The Val Trebbia takes its name from the homonymous river, the absolute protagonist of the Valley that crosses it arising from Monte Prelà, in the province of Genoa, touching the province of Pavia and continuing its course in the province of Piacenza until it flows into the Po.
The river bed is characterized by the presence of narrow meanders drawn by the water, between rocks of different nature, which constitute a unique landscape for its natural beauty. Val Trebbia is one of the most geologically interesting areas of Italy because it is an exceptional reservoir of biodiversity in every stretch.
The historical aspect has the same relevance as the natural one, for the presence of the famous Abbey of San Colombano in Bobbio, one of the most important medieval cultural centers in Europe, founded by the Irish monk in 614, and famous for its prestigious Scriptorium, whose organization inspired the writer Umberto Eco in the drafting of his best-seller “The name of the rose” and for the Neolithic Village of Sant’Andrea a Travo, one of the main prehistoric settlements in northern Italy, where a dense network of residential and functional structures dating back to the fifth millennium BC have been found and visible today. To these is added an imposing belt of castles that dot it, some belonging to the networks of the Castles of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza: Castle and Medieval Village of Rivalta, Rocca and Castle of Agazzano, Castle of Montechiaro, Malaspina-Dal Verme Castle of Bobbio.
Do not forget the eno-gastronomic aspect, which offers a wide choice of flavors, as it is affected by the contamination of different traditions: Ligurian, Piedmontese, Lombard and Emilian (eg De.Co products: macaroni alla bobbiese, brachettone, almond and crunchy cakes). In the right season it is then possible to taste the precious fruits of the woods, fragrant porcini mushrooms and truffles (white and black) and finally the wines, all of remarkable quality even if the only DOC in the area is Trebbianino.
Val Trebbia is a perfect place both for nature lovers who can spend their days in trekking, canyoning, climbing and adventure trails among the trees, and for culture enthusiasts with visits to museums and archaeological sites, castles, churches and medieval villages.
Ernest Hemingway, who visited it during the Second World War following American troops, wrote in his diary “Today I crossed the most beautiful valley in the world”.