Via degli Dei hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Via degli Dei, the "Way of the Gods", is a walking route of about 130 km across the Apennines from Bologna to Florence. It starts in Piazza Maggiore in Bologna and ends in Piazza della Signoria in Florence, two of the best-known squares in Italy. The name comes from mountains on the way that are said to be named after Roman gods: Monte Adone (Adonis), Monzuno (Mons Iovis, Jupiter's mountain) and Monte Venere (Venus). It is waymarked with red and white CAI signs marked "VD". Most people walk it in five to seven days and sleep in B&Bs, agriturismi (farm stays), small hotels and a few campsites.

The route

The first day leaves Bologna through the city's porticoes, climbs the long arcade to the Sanctuary of San Luca and drops to the Reno river at Casalecchio. It then follows the river and the woods to Sasso Marconi, Badolo and the sandstone cliffs of Monte Adone, the most photographed viewpoint on the walk, before Brento. The second day goes on through Monterumici and Monzuno and over chestnut woods to Madonna dei Fornelli. The third day is the highest: open ridges and beech woods around Monte Bastione and the Banditacce, at about 1,200 m, with paved stretches of the Roman Flaminia Militare road, and down to Passo della Futa and its large German war cemetery. You are now in Tuscany. The fourth day crosses Monte Gazzaro and the Passo dell'Osteria Bruciata and descends to Sant'Agata and San Piero a Sieve in the Mugello valley. The fifth day climbs past Castello del Trebbio and Tagliaferro to the convent of Monte Senario and Vetta le Croci. The last day runs along the hills to Fiesole, with Florence's Duomo in view, and then down through the city to Piazza della Signoria.

This guide follows the official six walking stages and splits the route into 6 stages, about 20.8 km each. The line used here, from the OpenStreetMap route, measures 125 km; the official figure is about 130 km. The total climb is about 5,000 m (OpenStreetMap gives 5,068 m), most of it in many short ups and downs that a smoothed elevation profile does not fully show.

Highlights

• Bologna and San Luca: Piazza Maggiore, the porticoes and the 666 arches up to the Sanctuary of San Luca
• Monte Adone: sandstone towers and wide views over the Reno and Setta valleys
• Flaminia Militare: stretches of ancient Roman road paving on the ridge between Madonna dei Fornelli and Passo della Futa
• Passo della Futa: the German war cemetery, the largest in Italy, on the old Gothic Line
• Monte Senario: a hilltop convent with a rest stop run by the friars
• Fiesole: Etruscan and Roman town with the first full view over Florence

When to go

The best months are April to June and September to October. July and August are hot, especially on the low first and last days near the cities, and water is scarce on the ridges. Spring and autumn weekends are busy. In winter, snow, ice, mud and short days make the stages above 1,000 m hard work, and some small B&Bs close. After heavy rain, parts of the first stage along the Reno flood and should be avoided.

How many days and how hard

The official plan has six stages of 15 to 29 km. The first two days, Bologna to Brento (about 29 km, 9 hours) and Brento to Madonna dei Fornelli (about 21 km with steep climbs), are the hardest. Many walkers stop at Badolo on day one (23 km) or add a night at Monzuno and walk in seven days; fit walkers sometimes finish in five by combining the last two stages. The Via degli Dei is a moderate walk with no exposed or technical sections: mostly forest tracks, mule paths, dirt roads and some quiet asphalt. The paths can be steep, stony and very muddy after rain. The descent from Monte Gazzaro is steep; in wet weather or fog take the signed variant through the beech wood.

Credential and booking

No permit or fee is needed. Most walkers buy the official credential (credenziale), a walker passport that costs 3.50 euros from the official store or info points. Collect at least five stamps along the way and you can pick up a free numbered certificate in Florence (Palazzo Vecchio bookshop, Libreria San Paolo or the Firenze Welcome Center), Fiesole, Sasso Marconi or Bologna. The official 1:25,000 map guide costs 10 euros, and the free Walk+ app is the official app, with the route, alerts and diversions.

Book every night ahead, especially from April to June, in September and at weekends. Brento, Madonna dei Fornelli and Passo della Futa have only a few places, and at the Futa beds are spread over Monte di Fò, Santa Lucia, Traversa and Bruscoli; several hosts collect walkers from the pass. Wild camping is not allowed in Emilia-Romagna, so use campsites. Local companies offer luggage transfer between overnight stops.

Getting there and away

Bologna Centrale and Firenze Santa Maria Novella are linked by fast trains in about 40 minutes, so many people leave luggage or a car at one end and take the train back. Piazza Maggiore is a 20-minute walk from Bologna Centrale. Along the way, Sasso Marconi has a station on the Bologna to Porretta line and San Piero a Sieve one on the line to Florence, which makes it easy to shorten the walk. From Fiesole, buses run from Piazza Mino down to central Florence if you do not want to walk the last 8 km on city streets.

Money, food and phone signal

Italy uses the euro. Cards work in the cities and most hotels, but carry cash for small B&Bs, bars and agriturismi. Brento, Madonna dei Fornelli, Passo della Futa and Vetta le Croci are hamlets with few or no shops, so buy lunch the day before; many hosts offer dinner or a packed lunch. Water points are few on the ridges: carry at least 2 litres. Bologna and Florence charge a tourist tax per person per night. Mobile signal is good in the villages but can be patchy in the woods on the ridges.

What to pack

Light walking boots or trail shoes with good grip for mud, a rain jacket, a warm layer for the ridges, sun protection, 2 litres of water, snacks, a small first-aid and blister kit, a phone with the route offline, and cash. In summer start early to avoid the afternoon heat.

Safety

In an emergency call 112, in Emilia-Romagna and in Tuscany. Mountain rescue (Soccorso Alpino) is called out through 112. Say which stage you are on and the nearest village, and use the 112 Where are U app to send your position. Before you go, check the alerts on the official site and the Walk+ app: in 2025-2026 the old Bregoli path above Sasso Marconi was closed and a bridge on stage 5 near Tagliaferro had a signed diversion. Watch for traffic on road sections, keep dogs on a lead near livestock, close gates and never light fires.