After the White Marble Marathon: The Quarries and Colonnata

The Route: Marina di Carrara → Carrara town → Fantiscritti quarries → Colonnata → Marina di Carrara Logistics: Taxi or local bus. Quarry tours need booking and run on steep, unsurfaced tracks. Marathon Month: February Duration: Day trip

Marina di Carrara ──(taxi/bus ~30-45 mins)──> Fantiscritti ──> Colonnata
         <──────────────(same route back)──────────────────────┘

From the finish line on Viale Cristoforo Colombo you can see the mountains that give the race its name. The Apuan Alps rise within a few kilometres of the beach, and the pale scars on their upper slopes are not snow. They are quarries. Marble has been cut here since Roman times, and the same hills supplied the stone for Michelangelo's sculptures, according to the usual local account. Monday morning is a good time to go up and look at them from close range, because the route needs no running at all.

Getting there takes some planning. Buses from Carrara town climb toward Colonnata and the quarry valleys, but services are thin and often reduced in winter. A taxi from Marina di Carrara is simpler for a group and takes about 30 to 45 minutes depending on the destination. Ask your hotel to book one and agree the price for the round trip first. Check bus timetables with the local operator before relying on them.

February in Carrara. The coast is mild and the mountains are not. Expect cold, damp air above 500 metres, and in some years a dusting of snow on the peaks. The quarry tracks are made of marble dust and rubble, and they turn slick after rain. Wear shoes with grip, not the race flats you have just retired, and carry a waterproof layer. In most years February days are cool and often grey, though conditions vary.

The Quarries

Guided jeep tours go into working or semi-working quarries, and they are the point of the trip. A guide drives a 4x4 up the track, and you stand inside a cave of white stone with the blocks cut in front of you. Several operators run these from the Fantiscritti valley and from Colonnata. Winter timetables are shorter, some tours need a minimum group size, and rain can stop them. Book in advance and confirm the meeting point, the duration and the price, which varies by operator and tour. The tour involves getting in and out of a vehicle on uneven ground, which is awkward on sore quads but manageable.

The marble museum in the Fantiscritti valley sits beside the road and shows how blocks were cut and carried down before modern machinery. Check its opening days and winter hours before you go.

Colonnata

Colonnata is a small hill village a few kilometres above Carrara, known for lardo di Colonnata, pork back fat cured with salt and herbs in basins made from the local marble. It has protected status, which means the name only applies to lard made in the village. Several small shops sell it, and trattorie serve it thinly sliced on warm bread. If lard sounds like a challenge, it is mild and melts on the tongue. Many places close one weekday, and some close for lunch, so check before you travel and book if you want a table.

The streets are steep and the village is small. Allow an hour or two for a walk, a look at the church and a meal.

Getting Back

Return the way you came. If you took a taxi, arrange the pickup time before you are dropped off, as phone signal on the hillside can be weak. If you are heading to the airport at Pisa on Tuesday, see the main page for the train from Carrara-Avenza. Check times and fares at trenitalia.com.