SP7 Barga(sh) BY BICYCLE / FAHRRAD / VELO / BICI

SP7 Barga(sh)

I don't think this summit will ever make it into a book, dedicated to climbing with a bicycle. It is small compared to other possibilities. Just by taking a right turn along this road somewhere, you can climb quite a bit higher summit points, (as indicated by the (sh) for shoulder summit). But sometimes less is more, especially during the times, when resting up for when "more is more" again.

Sightseeing and bicycling are the perfect combination. This also goes for somewhat toursity spots like this one. Barga is on a hill and the highest spot in town is the dome.

1.(170m,00.0km) START-END SOUTH: jct SR45-SP7, Fornaci Di Bagna, south east of Barga
2.(390m,04.2km) TOP: to the right are the narrow streets up to the church in Barga
3.(220m,10.6km) START-END NORTH: bridge over Serchio on SP7, south of Castelnuovo Di Garfagnana

Approaches

From West. Riding on the west side of the Sergio River is generally more pleasant. There is not much of a shoulder, but also less traffic. There are several roads up to Barga. The profile follows the westermost, signed road up SP7.

Just before the first view of the town appears, a sing in English calls this the most Scottish town in Italy. It must have something to do with the Scottish looking castle tower on what is supposed to be a church. The highest spot in town is this Scottish dome.

The interior is kept very dark, so that some of the artwork can only be imagined. The stained glass windows on the other hand unfold their full magic effect and shine with brilliance that no photo can capture. That must have had a great effect on people that did not know photography or printed color.

From East. Shortly after the diversion through narrow medieval steets a sign points out the next, and in this case last step on the ladder up the hilltowns: Renald, and also an out and back to Vitricia. But this profile stays on SP7 and descends back down to the river Serchio